Wyrd Ways, Strange Days
by rowanred81
Summary: Fantasy AU! Chloe has returned to her hometown of Arc after an absence of five winters. Injured by a poisoned blade and essentially fired by the mercenary guild she was a member of, a down on her luck warrior finds herself in the oddest of predicaments when she is given the task of delivering food to a sorceress named Max who lives up in the tower overlooking the village...
1. Welcome to Arc, Unfortunately

_**Wyrd Ways, Strange Days**_

 _ **Chapter One**_

" _ **Poison", by Meg Myers**_

 _Home shit home_ , Chloe thought as she climbed out of the wagon. Arc was where she'd been born and raised, for the most part, yet the only things it held for her were bitter memories. Her father had died when she was only 14 winters old, and her mother had remarried before the next year had begun. While that had frustrated and upset Chloe to no end, it was her mother's new husband that had drove her to the southlands. _Oh shit, he's still going to be here_ , the realization hit Chloe almost as hard as the kick she'd received the night before from a tavern brawl she'd started, _David's in the local garrison. This is gonna be hella awkward._

Handing over a silver coin to her travel benefactor, some random farmer who had been heading to Arc for trade, Chloe slung her bag over her shoulder and kept a hand on her sword as she headed toward the gate. Biting her tongue as she watched the guardsmen eye her like a piece of meat, Chloe watched their eyes travel downward and stop at the calloused hand gripping the hilt of her blade. Their eyes widening, Chloe rolled her eyes and dropped her bag onto the ground before raising her good arm as a gesture of not intending any violence.

"C'mon, guys," Chloe said in a weary tone as one of the guardsmen opened her bag for inspection, "I'm not here to start anything. My mother is the barkeep, for fuck's sake. I… I'm just coming home, is all."

"Justin, what she got?" one of the guardsmen asked, his helm covering his face as he gripped at a rusted spear with shaking hands, "Anything good?"

"What the fuck-?" Chloe's brows knit and she scowled at the guardsman when the one called Justin smacked her across her backside with the flat of his blade.

"Shut yer hole! There's a price for coming into Arc," Justin said, rifling through the bag until he pulled out a jeweled earring that ended with a blue feather. Eyeing the jewelry greedily, Chloe watched something click in Justin's head as he quickly dropped it and brought the tip of his blade just under her chin, "You're a-!"

"Blue Jay, that's right," Chloe smirked, her eyes daring the guardsman to make a move, "I'm a mercenary, and if you fuck with me the other Jays will hear about it so eat shit and fuck off."

Chloe watched Justin hesitate, felt the blade scrape under her chin as it wavered for a moment before being sheathed by its owner. Eyeing the guard warily, Chloe felt the tip of her chin and smiled at the tiny amount of blood that had been drawn. Licking her fingers clean for dramatic effect, Chloe watched Justin and his cohort backpedal until they were out of her reach. _Thank the fucking gods,_ Chloe thought as she hid her relief, _If they knew I couldn't fight anymore I'd be easy pickings._ Closing her bag up, she headed over to where Justin stood and held out her good hand for the earring.

"Give it," Chloe said, the commanding tone in her voice startling the young man, "Dude, it isn't mine. It's a fallen Jay's, my partner's, so cough it the fuck up."

Rolling her eyes as Justin slowly extended his hand out toward her, Chloe snatched the earring from him deftly and stowed it in her leather breeches. Kicking the mud off her boots as she moved to the paved walkway leading through the gate, Chloe opened her bag and dropped a large bottle of mead on the table the guards had been sitting at.

"Obliged," Chloe said before drawing her cowl back over her head, azure hair peeking out with a Cheshire grin visible beneath the locks of hair. Heading through the gate, Chloe again thanked the gods for not having to resort to fighting. She was tired, hungry, and weary of battle; all Chloe wanted was to see her mother and find a new place in the world now that she no longer had her old one.

The paved walkway quickly gave into rock and mud as Chloe progressed further into the village. Looking behind her at the smooth stones set into the ground, Chloe laughed to herself at the open deception. _The Prescotts must still be in charge, such an open display of wealth that is a total deception. Fucking shits, all of 'em._ Glancing at the storefronts and homes that lined either side of the main road in Arc, Chloe seemed to blend into the surroundings as she was neither recognized nor the focus of anyone's attention. She preferred it that way, the anonymity of everyday life. It suited Chloe to be invisible as that was how she'd become a Blue Jay in the first place.

 _"Where'd my wallet go?" the tax collector had asked in a heated voice, searching through the crowd as Chloe had run off hurriedly with enough money to keep her fed for days._

 _"This is so fucking cool!" Chloe had exclaimed as she opened the wallet to reveal the paper money used in the southlands as well as more familiar coppers and silvers, "I am a queen today. Bow."_

"No one to really bow, though," Chloe muttered to herself as she caught sight of the Two Whales a little further down the road, "When Rachel found me, I hella thought I was screwed. Thought she was a narc, but she ended up being an angel instead."

Rachel had introduced her to the Blue Jays a few days after she'd pilfered the tax collector's wallet, letting Chloe have her fun as she simply watched. Chloe figured that she had just made a friend, not having a clue that she was being observed for possible initiation. Instinctively touching the necklace she wore, three dulled crossbow bolts, Chloe frowned at the memory of her fallen sister-friend.

"I wish you were here, Rach," Chloe silently whispered, as though in prayer, "You always said you wanted to meet my mom. Well, you'll have to settle for being a memory. I'm sorry."

"You there! Halt!" a gruff voice spoke, and Chloe groaned as she immediately recognized it despite having not heard it in five years. _Hello, step-prick._ Hearing the unsheathing of iron, Chloe's eyes widened and she hurriedly lowered her cowl.

"Dude, chill! It's me! It's your stepdaughter, asshole!" Chloe's words were hurried as David Madsen approached, his expression one of lividness until he realized who was speaking to him. Seeing the wrathful look turn into disdain, Chloe sighed in relief and approached him, "Hello 'Dad'."

"So, you come back when I'm assuming you've nothing left," David said, jutting his chin out as he took in the look of his stepdaughter, "I'd heard you went merc, joined a guild. They kick you out?"

"I quit," Chloe said through gritted teeth, the contempt in the man's voice raising her ire, "Too much bullshit. Reminded me of home."

"You have no honor, just like you have no friends here," David hotly spat, eyes narrowed as he looked at the necklace Chloe wore, "Trophies?"

"…Reminders of people I've lost…," Chloe's suddenly soft tone took David aback and his disposition softened a bit as well, "One for my dad, two for my…my angel…"

Feeling a hand clamp onto her shoulder, Chloe's head jerked up and saw the pained look on David's face. _That regret? You show regret now, after you essentially threw me out of my own home?_ Pulling away from the attempted kindness, Chloe averted her eyes. She would never forgive David for trying to take her father's place. A swordsmith, William Price had been cleaved in two by one of his own blades for failing to meet the quality demanded by the town's governor, Sean Prescott. The truth was that Prescott simply didn't want to pay for the sword, everyone knew it, but with the magistrate in his pocket and the guardsmen paid for by him no one had said anything. No one except Chloe.

She'd spat on the ground at Prescott's feet that day, had taken the sword he'd asked her father to make before cutting him down, and had ran straight home. _I can still taste the blood where you hit me,_ Chloe thought as her eyes slowly moved to meet with David's, _You were a new guard and you hit me before trying to fuck my mother. My father hadn't even been buried and you made a move on my mother and my goddamn life, you bastard._

"Fuck you," Chloe uttered, her lips curled in a sneer as David's shoulders slumped, "You could hella drop dead right now and it'd never be enough. I'll never forgive you, asshole, so stop trying for it and leave me alone."

Turning on her heel, Chloe stomped the rest of the way to Two Whales and paid David no mind as he warily followed her for a few minutes before fading into the crowd. The Two Whales was just ahead, but Chloe was already second-guessing her decision to return north to Arc. _I got out of this shit-pit for a reason. I should have stayed out._ Noticing a drunk slumped near the door, Chloe smirked as she recognized the boy and nudged him with her boot.

"Get the fuck up, Waldo," Chloe said, the young man twitching before catching a face full of mud as he toppled over, "Thought you were the smart guy, dude."

"… _Chloe_?" Warren Graham asked through his drunken stupor, eyes widened in recognition as he tried to get onto his feet only to slip and fall on his ass, "Sorry. Not much of a scholar today, huh?"

"Hella looks that way," Chloe squatted down to Warren's current eye-level and peered at him from beneath her blue hair, "Dude, you look like hot shit bathed in cold shit. What's new?"

"A _lot_ can change in five years, Chloe," Warren's sad tone was met with his entire body slumping further into the muck just outside the tavern, "Hard to be a scholar when there's so much crackdown on actual learning. The…," Warren motioned Chloe to come closer as his voice lowered to a whisper, "Sean Prescott has banned so much that I hardly have anything _to_ study anymore that I haven't already learned about. You can't even practice medicine… Well, that's not _entirely_ true. You just have to scare the shit out of him…"

Before Chloe could get an answer out of Warren about the medicine remark, the door swung open and she knocked it back with the pommel of her sword to save herself and Warren from eating a mouthful of old wood as it came within inches of their face. Looking over at Warren once the door was closed, Chloe snorted at the sight of her childhood friend having passed out. _Poor guy, fucked over just because he stayed here. You're too good for this place, man, and you should've bailed like I did. A lot of people should have. There's something dark about this place._ Helping Warren to a bench alongside the tavern's façade, Chloe took off her cloak and wrapped it around an unconscious Warren before heading inside.

* * *

Two Whales was bustling with patrons, the smell of sweat, mead, meat, and the sea air creating an atmosphere that had always felt like home to Chloe growing up. The tavern was a three-story building, the second-tallest next to the governor's residence, with the third story being Chloe's childhood home. Knocking the dust off her boots with a couple slight kicks to the doorway, Chloe let the door close behind her and gave her eyes a moment to adjust in the dim lighting. _Some things should never change_. Two long rows of tables pulled together with smaller tables set against the wall, the sight of card games, drinking, and whispered conversations in the shadowed areas of the bar brought a faint grin to Chloe's face before she headed toward the bar itself.

Joyce stood behind the bar, wiping a mug down, when Chloe sauntered up and took a seat on one of the stools. Not recognizing her grown daughter at first, Joyce smiled at her the way Chloe remembered her mother smiled at all the customers. _Just enough friendliness to order whatever they were interested in, but not enough to invite any trouble._ Quirking an eyebrow at Joyce, Chloe took a crust of bread off a discarded plate and mopped it in a small bowl of partially-melted butter.

"Damn, Mom. If I'd known I was this forgettable I might've heralded my arrival with a lute solo or something," Chloe teased, laughing when Joyce's eyes widened in glad recognition.

"Chloe!" the smile on Joyce's face would have broken Chloe's heart 5 winters ago; now, the sight gave her just enough warmth to meet her mother's enthusiasm with a smirk, "Chloe, when I heard you'd joined up with the-"

"Relax, Mom," Chloe reached out and placed a hand over her mother's reaching one, "I'm here and I'm alive. Didn't come back on a shield or in pieces-"

" _Chloe_!"

"Kidding. Seriously, it was a joke," Chloe said before two arms wrapped around her from behind in a hug that made her wince from the dull, throbbing pain in her back. Looking over her shoulder at the long blonde tresses, it took Chloe a moment to recognize yet another of her childhood friends. _How many of you stayed here? You're all hella crazy_ _…_ "Taylor? Taylor, you can let go now. _Now_ , please."

"Chloe, how was the south? Is it warm there, is it nice?" Taylor said in a flurry of words, her eyes wide in awe at the blue hair and the leanly muscled form of her childhood friend, "Ohmigods, what the hell did you-"

"She was a sword-for-hire," David said, coming up from behind them both, "Evidently not one anymore, if you've come back here."

"David, don't start with her. I only just got her back," Joyce pleaded, though all three people within earshot picked up on the cautionary edge to Joyce's tone.

"S'cool, and he's right," Chloe admitted, holding up her right arm as high as it would go, "Used to use two swords, but now just the one. At least it wasn't my good arm. Fucking poisoned blades. Hella cheating."

"You've been _poisoned_?" Joyce asked, walking around the bar with Taylor quickly taking her spot as she prepared drinks and food for waiting customers. Letting Joyce guide her to the back room where she remembered taking meals with her mother and father, Chloe sat on a bench against the wall and leaned back as Joyce carefully peeked underneath the sweat-saturated fabric that Chloe wore under her leathers and chainmail, "Chloe, this scar is green, for cryin' out loud!"

"It's…," Chloe bit her tongue and flinched away as Joyce's fingers brushed against the throbbing wound, "It's the poison. There's a chemist three days' ride from where the Jays were camp. He treated the wound, but the poison had already fucked me over. Had to sell my horse and best gear just to have the coin to make it home, the tonics and poultices cost so much…. Ah, Mom! Stop! If I'm flinching away that means _don't touch_!"

"Chloe, let her look," David ordered, Chloe meeting his narrowed gaze with a warning glare. _You do not_ ever _order me around, asshole. Ever._

"So yeah, I came home in the hopes I could find something simple for work and just recuperate. I…I won't eat much, I swear-"

"You could work for the guard, a signal watch or something along those lines. Nothing overtly physical," David offered in spite of Chloe's resentment of him. The genuine nature of the offer made Chloe sick with the mixed feelings that kindness from a man she loathed brought out of her.

"David, she can hardly lift that arm," Joyce said in an admonished tone, hands on her hips before gesturing at her daughter, "She _needs_ rest. I can find things for her to do _here_."

"…She's moving back in?" the disappointment in David's voice brought a smile to Chloe's face and Joyce rolled her eyes at both of them before sighing.

"She needs to rest, and she needs to work. The best place for her to do these things is _here_ , with family. Unless you want her barracked with your men in Prescott Hall…?"

"Fuck that, no hella way," Chloe spat, the cringe on her face made her feelings apparent to the other two people in the back room, "Mom, I'll be your go-to person. Just give me something to do and let me rest when I need it. I swear, _I fucking swear_ , if you all just let me recuperate I won't be here long."

Chloe wilted under the look of disappointment on her mother's face, but both she and Joyce knew that being home on a long-term basis was not an option. David's lack of welcome aside, the Prescott family would likely make Chloe's and Joyce's lives miserable if she stayed any longer than necessary. The azure coif of hair and growth of five winters in a mercenary guild were all that concealed her presence; eventually, those would cease to do so and Magistrate Jefferson would come calling. _Hella no_. _I can't do that to Joyce, or even David. Dude's an ass, but no one deserves Jeffershit trying to drive them out of house and home._

"So, gimme something to do," Chloe said, re-stitching the side of her leathers that Joyce had loosened to examine the wound on Chloe's back, "I can walk easily enough and can carry a pack or a pail. Whichever you need."

"…I know just the thing, if you're wantin' to stay out of trouble here," Joyce said, walking out into the tavern with David only to return by herself with a wrapped package of bread, cheese, and dried meat, "Chloe, you remember the old tower on the hill overlooking the village?"

"Uh, yeah. I used to play there as a kid like damn near everybody else," Chloe tilted her head at Joyce's question, "Why? The old temple's been deserted for-"

"There's a girl living there. A… A 'wisewoman'. She was kind to me a few moons back when I was struck with fever. Her payment request was a weekly delivery of food and any other goods she might have need of. You want something to do? Deliver this to her."

"…There's a _witch_ living in the tower?" _Even in the south, magic is rare. Never mind an actual practitioner_ _…_

" _Wisewoman_ , Chloe," Joyce corrected her daughter, looking at Chloe pointedly as she did so, "Do _not_ call her a witch. She hates that and she's actually a sweetheart of a girl. Just be nice."

"I can be hella nice, _Joyce_ ," Chloe emphasized her mother's name as she said it, Joyce rolling her eyes. Chloe only referred to her mother by her given name when getting irritated, "So, what's this girl's name?"

"Maxine, though she prefers Max," Joyce said, Chloe brushing past her to make the delivery. Running after her daughter, Joyce called out from the open doorway, "Don't call her by her full name, Chloe! She hates that, too!"

* * *

Walking as quickly as her feet were able to move, Chloe hurried out of Arc and used the narrow walkway that ran along the shoreline to avoid the gate that lead toward the overlooking hill. Craning her neck, Chloe looked up and saw the old tower loom over everything below it. An ancient structure, it had crumbled less than it should have when you took into account how old people believed it to be. Her feet wet from the splashing water as she hopped from stone to stone along the waterfront, Chloe ducked into a thicket of bushes and waited for the approaching guards to pass her by. Her breath held, Chloe silently pleaded that the guards might hurry up. Gasping for air once they were out of sight and hearing, Chloe watched the sunlight begin to fade as the mid-day started to give way for nightfall and was nearly ran over by a girl coming from behind her rather swiftly. Never having seen the girl before, Chloe paid her no mind although the dampness of her breeches left a tongue-lashing on the edge of her mind. _These are going to hella reek in the morning now, so thanks for that_ _…_

"Hey!" Chloe called after the girl, her voice raised just enough to catch the runner's attention. Both hands grabbing onto the handle of a full water bucket, the girl turned to look at her from underneath a mess of chestnut hair with a terrified expression on her lips, "Whoa, hey. I'm not mad or anything. Just… Just, um, watch where you're going. You nearly tripped me over into the water face-first, yeah?"

"S-Sorry," the girl meekly replied, fidgeting in place as she bowed her head, "I-I didn't mean to. _Totally_ didn't mean to. Honest to Goddess!"

Chloe watched the girl turn back around and sprint up the hill. _How does someone so tiny move so hella fast? And isn't she fucking cold? It's near winter and she's in rags_ and _barefoot. Weird-ass people live both inside and outside this place. Chloe, why again did you return to Arc?_ Sighing to herself, Chloe got to her feet and headed along the opposite way of the guards. The path was well-trodden, the grass flattened or gone entirely to the point of easily tracking down which branching point on the trail led where; finding a branching trail that was more overgrown than the others, Chloe saw that it led in the direction of the overlook and headed that way with her remarkably still-intact parcel.

"Better get an ale for this, or something hot to eat," Chloe grumbled as the smell of wet, sweaty leather wafted up from her breeches, "Thank you, 'crazed barefoot girl'. Truly, you are my fucking hero. _Ugh,_ this is why I don't fucking do my wash…and also probably why I should…"

The trail grew more and more overgrown as Chloe made her way up the hill, and for a while she feared the climb might be more arduous than she'd realized. Her worries were for nothing, however, when a wide trail cleared of all overgrowth appeared up ahead. _This_ was _a temple, long ago. Maybe some kinda magic nonsense or whatever._ Seeing the prints of several different animals, Chloe smirked when she spotted a fresh pair of bare human footprints and realized the girl was likely headed up here to give the "wisewoman" water or something in payment.

Chloe had seen a few posers in the south, advisors or magicians who seemed more interested in getting things than doing anything for them. _Always a price, too. Nothing is ever free when it comes to magic, fake or not. Maybe that's why real practitioners are so rare_ _–_ _they're afraid to show themselves._ Chloe shrugged, thinking of how her mother's voice had sounded respectful when she'd talked of this "Maxine". _If she's legit, it'll be so hardcore to see someone do actual magic. If she has any reason to while I'm there_ _…_

Climbing the last of the forest trail, Chloe made her way to the hilltop clearing. The smell of firewood burning and cooking stew made Chloe's stomach growl as she saw the small pot hung over an open flame just outside the tower. The door slightly ajar, Chloe spotted what she guessed was candlelight emanating from inside the old structure. _Nobody comes to play here now, I bet. Scary magic lady and her hocus-bullshit._ Parcel wedged between her arm and side, Chloe took a look around the area and spotted a small bench that had been set near the cliff's edge; sitting down, Chloe winced at the pain her scar brought as she bent her back a little to pop aching bones and muscle. _Spent too long lying in the back of that farmer's damned cart. Ought to have hella stretched out more often instead of just lying on my ass when I was both awake and asleep. Nice one, Chloe. Keep this up and you'll be aged as fuck in no time._

 _"_ E-Excuse me…?" a familiar voice asked, and Chloe looked over her shoulder to see the barefoot girl from the waterfront standing near the pot as four guardsmen approached with someone dressed in clean, fine clothes between them, "Y-You know I told you no already, so just leave me alone-"

"My father _owns_ this village, bitch, and what I say goes will be backed by him," Nathan Prescott said, pointing at the girl as Chloe watched unnoticed, "If I want you to come to my family's hall and do magic for us you _will_ do-"

"It's not some foolish trickery for you to laugh and jeer at, you ass," the barefoot girl said, her tone suddenly commanding as it dawned on Chloe that the girl might be the "Maxine" she'd been told to deliver the food to, "Magic is _not_ a toy, and you can't afford it. Or _me._ "

"So you're telling me no?" Nathan asked, his rage easily spotted and Chloe set the package down to move for her sword, "Nobody tells me what to do: not you, not any of those shitbags down in the village. Guards, seize-"

" _ **I am not some weak child to be toyed with, boy!**_ " the barefoot girl, Max, said in a booming voice. To Chloe, it was as though the wind lent this small girl the strength of its currents to Max from somewhere beyond her diminutive form, " _ **Lay a hand on me and find the hand forever decrepit, aged years beyond the rest of your frail form! I will not be taken by you, your father, or any lord!**_ "

 _Not gonna lie,_ Chloe thought as she watched a shadow seem to fall over the guardsmen and Prescott, _That's pretty fucking cool._ Ducking down to hide behind the bench so as to not disturb what was going on, Chloe peered over the wooden backrest and watched as the guardsmen began to shiver from an unseen coldness gripping them. Their breath visible, the guardsmen glanced back and forth from Nathan Prescott to the barefoot girl until Nathan reluctantly stepped back a few paces.

"This isn't over," Nathan hissed, eyes narrowing at the small girl as she began to visibly relax when Nathan turned and left down the hill with his guardsmen quaking in their armor.

"…It never is…," Chloe heard the girl say with a sigh, and she could have sworn there was a deep sadness in the words spoken. Chloe pondered that sadness, the loneliness the girl must have to live with, and nearly forgot that she was standing in plain sight until the girl coughed, "Um, hello…?"

"Oh! Uh, yo," Chloe said in greeting, her teeth gritted at how stupid she'd just sounded, "Um, I'm the girl you nearly ran over down at the waterfront-"

"I… I remember," the barefoot girl said, slowly approaching when her eyes caught the sight of Chloe's delivery, "Joyce sent you? Goddess, I must've looked affright just now! Um, give me a moment to change and I'll gladly repay your kindness in delivering that food."

 _Hella yes! Score one for Chloe!_ Chloe thought to herself cheerily as she took a seat on a stump next to the crackling fire. Setting the package between her feet, she held out her good hand to warm up, the right hand numb along with the rest of her arm ever since the poisoned blade had sliced her back up. Feeling the weariness seep away from her bones, the corner of Chloe's lips slowly turned upwards in a smile as she relished the warmth. _A fire and food. Now all I need is music and drink! And, well, y'know_ _…_

"So," the girl said as she emerged from the tower, "Who are you, exactly?"

Chloe was glad the parcel wasn't in her hands because she was certain it would've fell to the ground. Clad in leather breeches that cut off just above her knees and the pelt of a deer that had been stitched and molded into a vest, the barefoot girl had brushed her hair out of her face and wore a deer skull with a set of antlers jutting out from the sides. Her blue eyes seemed to glow in the dusky light as the barefoot girl walked over. _Uh_ _…_

"You… Are you okay?" the barefoot girl asked, tilting her head as she looked at Chloe with mild amusement, "Lose your tongue somewhere between the bench and the fire?"

"…What? Hella no, um, that is to say I am Chloe," Chloe rolled her eyes and put a hand to her forehead. _Dumbass_. "My name is Chloe. I'm Joyce's daughter."

"Max," Max replied, offering a hand in greeting. Shaking the proffered hand, Chloe noticed all the small nicks and healed cuts on the fingers and palm. _Rough work, magic,_ "I like your hair, by the way. The color of the sky. Sky Hair."

"…Did you just give me a nickname?"

"Not at all, Sky Hair."

"You hella did."

"I'm allowed," Max replied simply, poking at the simmering stew with a wooden ladle before scooping up two bowlfuls of rich, meaty food. Handing one bowl to Chloe, Max set her own food down and filled two cup with a dark red wine, "Here. Food and drink for a weary traveler."

"What's the cost?" Chloe asked, cautiously taking the wine and sniffing her cup's contents, "Doesn't magic always have a cost?"

"…Consider it a delivery payment, and a kindness," Max said with a slight frown, "I don't _always_ ask for payment. Only when I need to get by, and even then it is typically simple things like food, clothing, or shelter for a time."

Chloe ate with Max in silence, savoring the wild vegetables and boar meat in the stew as she slurped down the broth. Offering the package to Max, Chloe watched as she sipped at her wine how Max scooped up mouthfuls of her food with the crusts of bread until nothing was left. Watching the wisewoman lick her fingers clean, Chloe found herself smiling again as Max blushed from the intense watchfulness.

"W-What?"

"How are you so powerful, and yet so adorable?"

"Gee, you're not blunt at all," Max said, rolling her eyes as she snorted, "Wowser."

Chloe had made to speak again when her back twitched and a throbbing pain rendered her right arm limp as a length of rope; cursing under her breath, Chloe began to try and move her fingers when a pair of small hands delicately held her motionless right hand. Looking up, Chloe saw an intense look of concentration on Max's face as her eyes almost seemed to leak blue light from somewhere deep within her. Gingerly moving her hands up Chloe's numb arm, Chloe watched as Max inspected her arm and then placed a hand just above where the scar was. Seeing the wisewoman nibble her bottom lip, Chloe wondered what Max was up to when she moved to sit face-to-face with her.

"Whoa! Up in my personal space, don't you think?" Chloe asked, her earlier playful banter dissolving into more honest awkwardness, "Um, what?"

"You were poisoned," Max's words were a statement, not a question, "I know the compounds, recognized the scent. D-Do you not know this is slowly killing you, Chloe?"

"Wait, what?" Chloe asked, eyes widening at the idea of dying over a shallow cut.

"Whatever treatment you received worked on the symptoms but _not_ the poison itself," Max explained, taking Chloe's good hand into both of her own as a gentile smile played across her lips, "I…I can heal you. _That_ will cost you, however, and as it is your life on the line the debt will not be small."

"Dude," Chloe blurted out, not thinking entirely straight due to fear of slowly dying from the poison apparently still in her system, "If you can heal me so I can use both my arms again I am _hella_ yours. I fucking swear it."

"…You sure?" Max asked with a hint of anxiety that was picked up on by Chloe, "You don't know what you're offer-"

"Geez, Max, just do it! I… If I'm going to die I would prefer it to not be some slow-and-painful bullshit, okay? Let me die on my feet, not on my knees or in a sickbed!"

Max flinched, and Chloe reached for the strange girl's hands and held onto them, smiling with tears welling up. _Please,_ Chloe thought, _Please don't turn me away._

"…Alright," Max conceded, her posture straightened out as a look of resolve took shape, "I will heal you. I will save your life, Chloe, and in return I will claim it."

The Sun had long passed away for the moon to take its place when Chloe found herself almost entirely naked on the hilltop. Looking out over the cliff's edge at the village and waterfront below, attired in only her threadbare underclothes, Chloe felt it odd that she wasn't cold in the autumnal evening. _Max_ , Chloe thought with a sidelong glance at the sorceress preparing an altar that had previously been used as a workshop table for Max's various tools and implements. _That's what she said people referred to her as from where she was originally from, a sorceress. A healer, no fucking doubt, but that trick with the wind and her voice was magic. Someone that tiny can't yell_ that _loud. No fucking way._ Walking over to the fire, Chloe squatted down at a reasonable distance and warmed her body up out of instinct. _Maybe it's the glow, the light, with the night sky so cloudy._

A slight cough took Chloe's attention away from her own thoughts and she looked up to see Max motioning for her to approach. While Chloe had barely any clothes on, Max was still attired in her earlier leathers and pelt save for an intricate pattern of branches and vines painted onto her face. Eyes glowing like blue embers, Max helped Chloe onto the altar and unsheathed a stone dagger. Seeing Chloe's eyes widen at the crude instrument, Max gave her a kind smile.

"Easy, Chloe. No human sacrifice today," Max teased, Chloe biting her cheek to keep from arguing or making a smartass remark when she knew it would likely be better not to do so at the moment, "If you prefer, you can close your eyes."

Chloe didn't _want_ to close her eyes, however; she wanted to see everything that Max did. If this sorceress was going to save her life, Chloe was going to watch it happen. Watching as Max drew the knife across the inside of her own palm, Chloe followed the dripping blood down into a small bowl that she'd seen Max mixing an assortment of fluids and ground herbs into. Hearing the bowl's contents hiss as each lengthy drop of blood traveled from Max's hand to the container, Chloe felt her body tense at the idea of drinking a bowl of whatever was being made. _Uh, Max? Max, do I have to drink that? Do I_ have _to?_

"What the fuck _is_ that?" Chloe blurted out, pointing with her good hand toward the bowl as Max looked up in confusion before something seemed to dawn on her.

"Right, I forgot," Max said as she took a thick piece of fabric and submerged it in the bowl's simmering contents, "A remedy that will halt the poison's progression and heal your back…for the most part. That green scar will remain, but it will be nothing more than a scar. As for restoring your body from the poison's affects, well, that takes something…something more…"

"Uh, 'something _more_ '…?"

"Just hush and roll onto your stomach," Max said, screwing up her lips after rolling her eyes, "Or get up and leave."

"You said you'd heal me!" Chloe's eyes were wide as she flinched under Max's glare.

"And you're acting like a child, asking question after question!" Max put her free hand on her hip before pointing at Chloe with the stone dagger, "You want healed?"

"Yes!"

"Then shut the fuck up! Wowser, you're a loudmouth!"

Chloe grumbled and turned over onto her belly. _Fucking childish loudmouth, huh? This whole goddamn mess was a mistake! I should've never come back to Arc, I swear I don't hella know what the fuck I was thinking and-_

Chloe's mind suddenly felt at ease when Max began to dab at the wound on Chloe's back, the bowl's contents soothing her mind and body as the real work began...

 **To Be Continued...**

 **Author's Note -**

 **I've wanted to do a story along these lines for a while now, fantasy being what got me into reading stories as well as trying my hand at writing them ever since I was a kid. I still remember the first actual novel I read, a hardback, leather-bound copy of _The Lord of the Rings_ trilogy. Originally, this was going to be a Dragon Age/Life is Strange crossover.**

 **I decided to make it my own thing instead, a story like Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts - something I could work into an entirely original story if I choose to do so.**

 **Anywho, I hope you enjoy the start of this new story! I don't know how long it'll go, but the updates will likely be weekly as I have a lot of projects on my plate at the moment.**

 **Read, review, and I'll see you all later!**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon _and_ Sinnamon Rolls!**


	2. Strangers Meet

" **Your Mistakes" by All Dogs**

Max ran as fast as she could to avoid the townsfolk of Arc. While her expertise in the mystical drew the occasional person up to the tower overlooking the village, Max had little to no desire when it came to interaction beyond the trade of goods and services. _Barter, but not befriend_ , Max's mother had warned her before her daughter had set out, _I know you're curious about the world beyond the trees, Maxine, but people can be cruel and you will have to meet their cruelty with your own at times if you are to endure amongst them._

Grimacing at that last thought, Max stifled a cry of surprise when she nearly ran over someone as she made her way to the path that wound around the village. Knowing where the path branched off into what would eventually take her to the hilltop, Max preferred the shorter route of a straight-shot forward. Looking behind her, Max stuttered an embarrassed apology and took off before she could really get a good look at the person she'd nearly toppled into the water. _Oops_. _Sorry,_ Max thought as she nearly turned to catch a quick glance behind her but the forest was calling to her and the safety within the trees immediately brought a sense of calm.

Coming from the far north, Max had crossed through a large coastal kingdom before making her way to Arc. Unlike Arc, whose citizenry left her alone for the most part, the kingdom to the north had practically sought her out, utilizing their own practitioner of magic to find her in the crowds and the slums where she'd been staying. _I can't understand why people would live in such slovenly places_ , Max thought with a shudder as she recalled the rotting thatched roofs and crumbling walls of the huts she had moved around in. When a court official had found her with the help of city guardsmen, Max had been wild-eyed and deprived of sleep; the promise of hot water and equally hot food had been enough to win her over, Max was so new to "civilization". _That_ _…_ _That woman! Smile like a serpent before devouring its prey, and I find she's here in Arc, too! Ugh, such bullshit_ _…_

Making her way to the tower in what she felt was record time, Max found a customer already waiting, a slain boar trussed up at her feet. She'd dealt with hunters and huntresses before, but Dana was different. Lacking the brute strength Max had seen in hunters that her mother had dealt with, Dana was lean and fast with a bow and a set of iron throwing knives. The tall girl's ponytail swished as she turned to smile at Max in greeting. Both considered outsiders to what was "normal", Max and Dana had easily struck up the closest thing to a friendship Max had ever had; the first friendship Max had made since leaving the forest of her youth.

"Dana," Max set her pail down and walked over to the huntress, clasping the offered arm in friendship, "That for me?"

Seeing Dana nod, the smile still on her face, Max traced the huntress's eyes and followed where they were looking to see another familiar face huddled near the fire Max had left going while she hurriedly left for water. Dana's scribe and something of a bard, Juliet was hunched over in pain as Max approached. When Juliet flinched at her touch, Max cupped the frightened girl's cheek and looked down to see a shallow slice along one of Juliet's ribs. Blood seeping through the fabric under a thin set of leathers, Max surmised that the boar had scraped the scribe with one of its tusks before Dana's craft had taken its life. Turning to Dana, Max nodded her head toward Juliet.

"The boar for your friend's healing, I take it?"

"That is…agreeable," Dana said with a hesitant nod. _Oh? You had something_ _…_ _No bother,_ Max thought as she began to help Juliet to her feet, _Too late now, evidently._

Dana assisted Max in keeping Juliet still, bracing her scribe's arms behind her as Max examined the wound. _Shallow and bleeding little. More likely the girl is simply unaccustomed to pain_ , Max nodded to herself as what she thought became more and more evident with the intermittent whimpering. Pulling the iron point of her spear out of the embers, Max blew on it and smiled at the faint red glow. Carrying the spear with her, Max grabbed a bottle of numbing tonic from her workshop inside the tower and returned swiftly. Having Juliet drink a mouthful of the thick substance, Max instructed Dana to hold onto her friend as tightly as she could. Giving the scribe a thick strip of leather to bite down on, Max pressed the heated metal of her spear against Juliet's injury. The hiss of cauterized flesh and its accompanying smell left Max cringing, her cringe increased when she saw the look of approval on Dana's face. _Ugh, gross! I'm burning her wound so that it doesn't bleed or get infected. You don't need to look so damned happy about it, huntress._ Pulling the blade back when she was satisfied, Max watched Juliet's knees shake before Dana slid an arm around her waist. Seeing the way Juliet looked up at Dana, Max couldn't help but feel a hint of jealousy; the love the two shared left Max wishing she had her own partner.

Dana had left the boar behind and Max had promptly skinned and carved it, learning from her father, himself a hunter, how to do so quickly and properly. The unused parts of the beast tossed over the cliff, Max tossed the meat into her small cauldron and mixed up some vegetables and herbs she'd gathered earlier in the day. Humming a lullaby her mother had sang to her, Max paid little attention to anything else save the daily tasks before her. _Prepare the food, dust the bedroll, check my supplies_ , Max ticked off the tiny list in her head. The food prepared, Max brought out the straw her bedroll had been placed on and tossed it onto the fire before beating the dust out of her thin mattress with a lengthy twig. Her bedding back in the tower, Max had cleaned up her workspaces both in and out of the tower and was scrapping the dried blood off her spear when the sound of approaching footfalls caught her interest. _Several people. Four_ _…_ _no, five_ , Max thought as she counted them off, her ear to the ground, _Heavy. Armor. No, one is lighter and the other four change their pace to match the lighter one._

 _Guards. Guards and a noble, likely._

 _Prescott. Ugh._

Max couldn't stand the local governor or his family. When she'd arrived at the tower and found it vacant, setting up a place for herself had been relatively simple. The first couple days were spent with endless tasks of gathering, preparing, and building so that when she could finally light a fire on the second night to cook something it had not occurred to Max that the village below might question what was going on at the old tower. The next morning, Max had awoken to the sound of a mailed fist banging on the tower door. Nervous and frightened, Max had ensorcelled the door shut until she was attired like her mother had instructed her to be. A woman of 18 winters, Max had to look the part of a wisewoman and try to abstain from running around in tattered clothes as she was wont to do.

When Max had finally released the enchantment, the red-faced guard who had been trying to batter the door down had fallen flat on his face to the amusement of a young man who struck Max as odd. _Odd and creepy_ was Max's first thought regarding Nathan Prescott, the village's governor Sean Prescott's son, as he walked into the tower with a greedy look on his face. He had called Max all sorts of names with a venomous disdain until Max had answered his question about her vocation.

 _"A healer_ _…_ _, sire," Max had said with reluctance, unused to the concept of nobility, let alone conversing with a noble._ More like being talked at.

 _"How so? I see no remedies or books of learning? Faking for coin?" Prescott had asked, his guards ransacking what personal affects Max had with her._

 _"No, sire. I heal with_ _…_ _with_ magic _."_

 _That was then, and this is now_ , Max thought as she focused on the approaching men. Seeing the local guardsmen and Nathan Prescott advance up the main hill, Max set her spear down and stood her ground. _Here we go._

"You've yet to come and entertain my family, Magician," Nathan said, walking around Max's camp, examining odds and ends at random before returning to the safety of his guards, "My family doesn't appreciate disrespect. We own this shithole of a village, so you'd-"

"E-Excuse me…?" Max inwardly cursed at herself. _Still not too used to speaking to others, let alone_ five _people. Honest to Goddess, why can't people just leave me be? Why does everyone have to_ have _something? "_ Y-You know I told you no already, so just leave me alone…"

 _Who's there?_ Max ignored Nathan and his men. Reaching her senses outward, Max felt through the earth another presence watching the spectacle unfold between herself and Nathan. Her attention divided, Max replied to Nathan's crass remarks half-heartedly until she could no longer tolerate his arrogance any further. Drawing in from the air around her, Max released magic into her voice as she spoke and watched as the natural world reacted according to her words and emotions. The air took on a chill in the vicinity of herself, Prescott, and the guards. Max spotted the fear in the guardsmen's faces and thanked the stars that the noble backed down. _At least for now, though_ _…_

"…It never is…," Max finished her thought aloud before returning her attention to the presence, a girl with sky-blue hair, and coughed to get her attention.

"Um, hello…?"

* * *

Max watched expectantly as the salve did its trick, the warrior who had introduced herself as Chloe visibly relaxed while Max dabbed at her wound. Using her Sight to trace the infection's path inside of her client's body, Max frowned at how far the poison had reached. _It_ _…_ _It's near her heart_ , Max thought with a sadness, _How_ _…?_ _She must be a real fighter to be able to stand or walk with this coursing through her form._ Max wrung out the cloth in a bowl of fresh water and applied a mint paste with the fingertips of one hand while preparing another round of cleansing with her other. Sighing, Max could not help but feel saddened by someone who had been through so much. _Of course, it's also her own damned fault for this and using some shady apothecary…_

 _Dumbass._

"Are… Are you okay?" Max asked in a kindly voice, her bedside manner contrasting her actual opinion, as she looked over at Chloe's face to find that the girl had watched her the entire time, "Um… What?"

"You're _so_ not what I expected," Chloe said with a snort, chuckling when Max put a hand on her hip and scowled, "No no, not in a bad way! You… You seem kind. I always thought people who practiced magic were out for payment, but you seem more interested in just getting by."

"You forget," Max said, her voice steady despite the anxiousness she felt in Chloe having nailed her reasoning on the first try, "You owe me a life debt. But, well, yeah. I just don't want to cause any trouble here. My people… We live among nature, not cut a swath of it away to make our homes like some of the castles and halls I've seen during my travels. Besides, I'm not greedy."

Max wiped the paste onto a strip of cloth and cleaned her hands up in a shallow bowl of cold water before she helped Chloe into a seated position. Gingerly, Max held Chloe's back in a straightened posture and watched as a green and black ichor trickled out of the wound. _That's part of it. Part, not all. This is the poison that remained at the wound; the rest is going to require more than herbs and salves._ Sighing, Max prematurely felt the fatigue of using her magick; it was like this sometimes, the weariness and depression of having to draw so much energy. _Everything has a cost, Mother used to say. It's not that we exact prices because we're greedy. Magic takes a toll on us, and therefore we take a toll on those whom ask for our assistance. If it were any other type of exchange it wouldn't be a deal, but anything mystical gets questioned because people know no better._ Walking around to where she was facing the seated warrior, Max planted her bare feet in the soil and took in a few deep breaths. Feeling her connection to the earth through the soles of her feet, Max drew some of the energy into her being and shook her body to warm up. Seeing Chloe eye her with a humorous expression, Max rolled her eyes.

"Please, by all means mock me. I'll just send you on your way. Evidently, a half-ass job is exactly what you need," Max stated, an eyebrow cocked as she gave Chloe a smirk of her own.

"No! I mean, uh, that is totally not what I meant, Max," Chloe said, grabbing Max by her wrists as she looked at the young sorceress with pleading eyes, " _Please_ help me. I didn't know I was dying, but I knew something was wrong. I can barely use my right arm, it's so numb and cold all the time. _Please help me._ "

"Close your eyes, Chloe," Max said, leaning in after the mercenary had done so.

There was nothing romantic about their lips meeting for Max, but judging how Chloe responded Max assumed the same could not be said of her client. Utilizing her body as a siphon, Max took in power from the earth to restore Chloe and keep herself free of the taint while drawing in the poison with her own ability until she held it within her being. Expelling the disgusting taint as it roiled inside of her, Max knew Chloe was watching as she pulled back and released the poison into the air as a black, smoke-like substance from her mouth. Backpedaling a few steps, Max braced herself against a chair she'd recovered from one of the abandoned homes that were scattered between here and the kingdom up north. Max gasped for air, the taste and feel of the poison that had been within Chloe was so alien and terrible that the gasping turned into gagging as she vomited.

"Ugh…," Max said, hand to her stomach, "That was so gross. Someone… Someone really hates you, to put _that_ inside of you…," Max said, looking up to notice the red in Chloe's cheeks, "What, are you feverish now?"

"Dude…"

"Spit it out, already," Max said, snorting at the irony of her statement.

"That… Did you kiss me?"

"What?" Max asked, eyes squinting as she gave Chloe an incredulous look, "I saved your life. _You're_ the one who tried to make it into a kiss, Chloe."

"It was totally you-"

"You slipped your tongue into my mouth, woman. Do _not_ think I didn't notice."

"Oh... Uh, oops?" Chloe asked, smiling as she scratched at the back of her head before realizing she was doing so with her right arm. Flexing her hand before her in shock before doing so along with her left hand, Chloe looked up at Max in wonder, "Holy shit…"

"What, did you think all that was an illusion?" Max asked, a hand on one hip, "I'm not some street magician peddling smoke and reflective glass. I healed you, and now you owe me."

With that, Max snapped her fingers and Chloe found herself floating in the air, a shimmering light surrounding her as she hovered over to where Max was now holding up a crystal talisman that was looped into a leather cord. With another snap of her fingers, Max had the blue-haired girl standing straight in front of her and Max tied the talisman around Chloe's neck before releasing her from the enchantment. Sitting back in her chair, a mug of mulled wine in her hand, Max reclined and watched as Chloe instinctively tried to take the necklace off only to find that her hands could only come close to the jewel; the cord itself did not move no matter how much Chloe moved. Seeing the fearful, angry look in her customer's eyes, Max sighed and took a long drink of her wine before setting the mug down and pouring a mug for the warrior.

"Sit if you wish," Max said, gesturing to another chair, "and come sit by the fire with me, Chloe. I would like company, and to hear of the South."

 _This is hella bullshit_ , Chloe thought as she found herself seated next to the sorceress who all-but had her in irons. Chloe couldn't even think straight, she was so confused and angry. Sure, she had wanted to be healed; evidently a slow-but-fatal wound, the scar on her back demanded attention and Chloe had gotten it. Now, unfortunately, came the hard part – the payment.

 _Yeah, but_ I _am the payment,_ Chloe thought as she looked at the mug of wine in her hand, _Fuck, what the hell did I get myself into?_

 _"_ Relax," Max said, a grin on her face, "I'm no monster. You're free to leave if you want. I was just hoping for tales of adventure. Besides, it's not like you're going anywhere."

The way Max had said "it's not like you're going anywhere" made Chloe nervous, but she nonetheless got to her feet; chugging the wine, Chloe slammed the mug on the ground next to her and told Max she preferred sleep to storytelling after her experience. _I am pretty beat, to be fair. Also, I'm not a fucking dancing beast. I don't do tricks._

"Well," Max said with a shrug as she set her mug down, "I have a bedroll in the tower and a straw mattress for customers who need to stay overnight. You're healed, but weak; the poison sapped your strength as it left you, so you're in no condition to leave my camp. Stay the night, and accompany me to Arc in the morn."

"I thought you didn't go into town…," Chloe said, following where Max pointed to see a clean-looking mattress rolled up next to a thicket of bushes, "I… I don't have to sleep over there, do I? It's… It's kinda chilly, dude."

"No, you can bring the mattress close to the fire. Not too close, though, because it's filled with straw."

 _No shit, really?_ Chloe thought as she unrolled the mattress and set it a safe distance from the fire pit, _Fire and straw don't go together? Gee, you don't fucking say. I'm not a child, odd-as-fuck magic lady._ Looking over to see Max stifling a laugh, Chloe huffed at being messed with and stripped down to her leather breathes and the tunic she wore beneath her hardened leather armor. Oblivious to Max watching her, Chloe stretched out and brought her hands behind her head as she looked up at the night sky. _There are so many lanterns in the keeps and castles, and you can get so hella wrapped up in your own business – I forgot what the stars looked like from home._

 _Home. Ugh, but still home._

"Max, what do the stars look like where you're from?" Chloe asked nonchalantly, looking over to see a wistful expression on the sorceress's face. Stripped down to her rags from earlier and shortened leather breeches, Max brought her knees to her chest in the chair as she looked up at the sky. _How can someone so seemingly innocent be so powerful, so strong? She's like a different person when she doesn't have to use her magic. Is that the price of her power?_

 _"_ They blanket the sky more so than the blackness of night," Max said in a quiet voice, loud enough for Chloe to barely make out. Getting to her feet, Chloe grabbed the mattress and dropped it next to Max's chair, Max sliding down to join her, "See the Huntress?"

Chloe watched Max raise a pale arm and followed where it was pointing to a group of twinkling lights in the sky that took the form of a familiar figure.

"That's not any Huntress, Max," Chloe said, pointing at the same constellation, "That's the Pursuer. He follows you at night, and rests during the day."

"To my people that's the Huntress, foraging for her child stars at night so that they might sleep well-fed during the Sun's hours," Max said, a smile on her face, "I was a Huntress, before I was revealed to be Gifted."

"Gifted?" Chloe asked, looking over at Max with a curious expression, "You mean magic?"

"Magic _k_ , and yes that is what 'Gifted' means," Max said, her right hand brushing against the shaft of her spear, "I was taught the spear by my father, and would go hunting with him. Fishing as well. I still do, but…magick takes priority now. It is the way of things."

"…I'm sorry," Chloe said, reaching out to place a sympathetic hand on Max's shoulder only to have it shrugged off, "Hey!"

"I… I appreciate the gesture," Max said as she stood up and cast a glance over her shoulder at Chloe, "I do not need it, though. This… This is my life, now. I am a sorceress, and there is always a price to be paid."

With that, Chloe watched as Max headed into the tower and threw a blanket at her before shutting the door. Alone outside, the fire crackling, Chloe looked at Max's half-emptied mug of wine and drank it down. The spiced alcohol, combined with the mug she'd already drank, put Chloe into a talkative mood and she began to talk in the direction of Max's tower.

"Th-That was _bull_ shit, Max. I was jus' trying t'be _nice_ , and you had to go be a shit," Chloe said, a dopey smile on her face when Max responded by cracking the door open to peer outside with glowing blue eyes, "Oooh, glow eyes. _So_ creepy, _so_ intimidating. Y'know what's not intimidating? You, Max _ine_."

Chloe barely had time to register what happened next. One minute she was, of her own admission, mouthing off to the woman who had just saved her, and then she found herself hoisted off the ground by the same woman. The rage in Max's face chilled Chloe to her core and she watched as Max ripped the talisman off her like it was bound by a paper cord. _I didn't…how did she…what'd I-_

 _Don't call her Maxine!,_ Joyce had said. Chloe had caught it, but paid it no mind. Now, the look on Max's face made her wish she had.

"Hey, I was just-"

"I release you from your debt," Max said, tossing the crystal in the fire. Watching the flames turn blue for a few seconds, Chloe looked at Max only to have herself dropped onto the ground, "Leave. You're no longer welcome here."

"Max, what'd I... What the fuck-"

" _ **Leave!**_ " Max said, her voice booming to the point of nearly bringing Chloe to her knees from how violently the air seemed to shake. Scrambling to get her things, Chloe had her armor halfway on as she fled down the hillside, following the same path she'd taken earlier as she heard the sound of the sorceress crying on the hilltop.

 _What the fuck did I say? I only called her by her full name…_

* * *

Chloe greeted the next morning with bleary eyes and a tree root poking her in the ass; just as Max had said, her body was took weak for the short trek to Arc and she'd passed out halfway down the hillside. Her armor on but not laced up, weapons protruding from a nearby bush, Chloe brought her face up from the dirt in which she laid in and wiped the bit of drool from her cheek. Taking in her surroundings, Chloe cursed herself silently as she began to collect her things and finish tightening her armor up when the whistle of a knife being thrown had her spinning into a defensive posture. Arms raised, her short sword and dagger out of reach, Chloe watched something reflect the sunlight before it whistled as it came right at her. The knife landed at her feet, embedded nearly to the hilt where she had been sleeping, when a dry chuckle echoed from the treetops. Looking up, Chloe caught sight of Max looking down at her with an apologetic smile. Dressed in her leather half-breeches and pelt vest, Max had added a wool cloak and boots to her attire as she climbed down the tree to yank the knife from its earthen sheathe.

"This is yours," Max said, offering the knife to Chloe, "You left it at my camp."

"What the…?!" Chloe was ready to yell, to explode. _Your idea of "Good morning" is to fucking throw knives at people?! The fuck?!_ Taking a deep breath, Chloe let the air out in a sigh before reaching for the knife with a grim-eyed, thin-lipped expression, "Thanks for giving me the boot last night, never mind you nearly stabbing my foot just now. The fuck is wrong with you?"

"I'm…sorry, about last night," Max said, her hands fidgeting with a pouch she held in her hands, "My full name, well, my family… Only my family is allowed to call me that."

"You could've just said, dude! I mean, you did the thing you pulled on _Ass_ cott _on me_ , and I totally was not deserving of that! Fucking harsh."

"I said I was sorry," Max said, pulling a crystal talisman out with a silver chain looped through, "You still owe me."

"Nice," Chloe said, crossing her arms over her chest, "You heal me, we seem to get along, and then you flip your shit, give me the boot, and throw _my_ knife at _my_ feet. And _now_ you want me to wear another one of those again? I want to know what it does – am I your thrall now, if I put that on? Do I have to obey your every whim?"

"What?! No!" Max said, her nose wrinkled in disgust as she sneered at Chloe, "Th-That's… I'd _never_ do that to another person. Ever. The talisman lets me know where you are, Chloe, and it allows me to communicate with you no matter where you might be. If either of us need assistance, the crystal makes it known to the other person. See?"

Chloe watched as Max pointed at a crystal talisman dangling in the hollow between her breasts, the leather cord looping up until it disappeared behind her pelt vest and mess of chestnut hair. _Oh…Oh, fuck. She was just trying to be nice. I was freaking last night and she was being kind._ Chloe grabbed her weapons from the bush where they jutted out from and sheathed them before she returned her attention to the sorceress.

"I hella overreacted," Chloe said, scratching at her blue hair, "I fucked up, too. In all fairness, I think my mom warned me about your last name and I was too pissed to care. If I offended you, I really am sorry."

"Well, we're both pretty fucking sorry, huh?" Max said with a snort, the sad look in her eyes diminished as a crooked grin replaced it, "Um, I still need to go into town but was planning to wash up at the waterfront first. Still up for joining me?"

"Yeah," Chloe said as she sniffed at her armor and tunic, "I… Yeah, I definitely need to wash up."

The water was cold as Chloe slowly lowered herself in, her disbelief at Max having dove in driving her to begrudgingly join her new companion rather than simply splash herself with water along the bank. Gritting her teeth at the frigidity of the water, Chloe instinctively sneezed as though a cold had already started to take form inside of her. _A poisoned wound healed only to die of fever, that's what my headstone will describe…if I get a headstone. They can be expensive,_ Chloe thought to herself with a smirk only to cry out in surprise when Max spung up from the water right in front of her.

"You're so slow," Max said, shaking her head with pursed lips, "Too slow. Maybe I didn't extract all the poison…"

"Maybe you need to extract all the bullshit from your mouth," Chloe shot back, splashing Max in the face with the icy water, groaning when Max didn't even flinch, "Gods, woman, do you not even _feel_ how cold this water is?"

"I feel it," Max said with a shrug and look of incredulity, "It just doesn't bother me. Hot, cold – makes no difference."

"You are so fucking strange."

"And you banter an awful lot with someone you just met, someone who saved your life."

"I've always been quick with my tongue," Chloe said with a wink, "S'my best weapon sometimes."

"Oh, I've no doubt," Max said, snickering as she submerged herself once more only to resurface a few paces away, "Chloe?"

"Mmm?" Chloe's teeth chattered as she resurfaced from dunking herself in the water, "W-What, M-Max?"

"Oh, go get dry," Max said, pointing over at her satchel, "There's a length of fabric in there that I enchanted to leave you entirely dry. When you've dried and dressed, I'll ask my question."

Chloe hurried out of the water as Max continued to bathe and swim, looking over her shoulder and from under her wet hair to catch glimpses of Max's naked form. _She looks more like a girl than a woman,_ Chloe thought as she began to get dressed, _Hardly any curve to her at all. Nearly flat everywhere. Still… It's the way she moves…_ Chloe watched Max's fluid movements as she cupped water to drink before ducking back into the water. The crisp air biting at what bare skin she had, Chloe pulled on her own cloak and huddled on the beach as Max strode toward her stark naked. _Gods, I'm blushing. I'm blushing at someone who looks like she's barely seen 13 winters, never mind how many she's actually seen. No, no it's just the warmth returning to my skin. That water was hella cold, after all. Yeah…_

 _It's totally that._

 _Totally._

"So," Max said as she dried herself off next to Chloe, Chloe's eyes averted so as to not get caught looking at Max with her standing only a couple feet away, "Tell me. What's Arc like? How was growing up in the village?"

"Uh, it sucked," Chloe said, rolling her eyes when Max snorted, "My father… My real father died when I was young, and Arc was pretty much his life. He was a swordsmith, but one day the local governor came to fetch a blade he'd commissioned my father to make. Unwilling to pay and in control of the guards and the magistrate, he ran my dad through. I left shortly after, when one of the guards took my mother as his wife. First time back in, what, five winters? So yeah, it sucked."

"…I've lost family as well," Max said, Chloe turning her head at the statement to see Max dressed as she knelt down to sit next to Chloe, "My family was slaughtered by a raiding tribe from the fringes of the northern forests. We were all peaceful with one another, once. When the kingdom to the north began to explore my people's territory, the outer tribes worked with them as guides and became greedy for more land."

"…Because they saw how those outside the forests were," Chloe said carefully, knowing that by her own statement she was included in those very same people outside of Max's home. Seeing Max nod, Chloe reached over hesitantly to place a hand on Max's shoulder; to her relief, the gesture was met by Max holding the hand Chloe had offered.

"It was terrible, our tribes broke alliances older than some of the trees themselves," Max continued as Chloe noticed how choked her new acquaintance's voice had become, "And then it happened. War. I was 15 winters old when I killed another person for the first time, my spear before that being used to help provide for my family and tribe…"

Chloe watched Max grow silent and shuffled over to hold the young sorceress as tears spilled freely down her cheeks. No sobbing, no shaking; tears simply fell down Max's face as she stared at the water before the two of them. _I've seen that look, the eyes of some of the senior Jays,_ Chloe thought, _Hell, I'm sure I looked like that after…after Rachel…_ A thought crossed Chloe's mind and her eyebrows knit together before she turned where she sat to face Max.

"Max, if people outside your forests are the reason behind your tribes fighting each other, why-"

"Why travel?" Max finished Chloe's question, and Chloe nodded in response, "Nothing left and no reason to stay. With my family dead and my tribe disbanded, I was a wisewoman without anyone to help. Besides, I'd grown tired of seeing the same things over and over. Few of my people ever left the forests, but those that did always came back with tales of high adventure that used to make me wide-eyed as a child. I wanted that for myself."

"…How's your adventuring going so far…?"

 _"_ It's kinda sucked ass, Max said, with Chloe snorting at that before both of them began to laugh hysterically.

 **Author's Note –**

 **So, I thought I'd try something different and backtrace some of the events from the previous chapter into this installment. Focusing on Chloe and Max, I thought it would be interesting to look at Max's perspective as well as Chloe's. I haven't really done that since "Intersecting Worlds, Interconnected Hearts", and there will likely be enough going on in this story to allow it.**

 **Hope you're enjoying it so far. This chapter was more character development and backstory, but also about our favorite gay baes getting acquainted.**

 **Please review, Cinnamon Rolls! Encouragement means a lot and your words sometimes help me push through when my depression takes away my motivation…**

 **Stay Hella! :)**


	3. Life Indebted, Death Prevented Again

**"Spellbound" by Lacuna Coil**

"What are those?" Max asked, pointing at the shoes of a horse as they walked down the main road of Arc, a scowl on her face when Chloe snorted, "I'm new, and I kept to myself up north when I wasn't with my people. So, what are they?"

"They're horseshoes, dude," Chloe said, biting her lip to keep from laughing. _Are you fucking kidding me? You don't know what horseshoes are?_ "How did you even get all the way down here to Arc? You're like some wide-eyed kid eyeing the sweets during a festival."

Chloe laughed even harder when Max glared at her and scowled even more, jerking her head away with a huff. _This pipsqueak of a girl, full of power and strength, and she's as socially imbalanced as an apple tree with one apple is imbalanced. Welcome to the real world, Max._ Sliding her hand into Max's, Chloe felt Max pull away for a moment before glancing at her from the corner of her eye. _That's it. Come back to Chloe._

"You suck."

"I am awesome."

"Pff, whatever," Max said, tugging her cowl down a little further to hid her eyes from view, "Where're you taking me? I have my own business to take care of, y'know."

"You don't think my mother ought to know that I'm healed?" Chloe asked, watching amusedly as Max's head jerked up in surprise at the notion.

"Oh, I totally forgot! Of course Joyce would want to know you're well," Max blurted out quickly before her face grew sad, "Mothers care for their children…"

Chloe winced at what Max said, knowing that she'd accidentally struck a nerve with her new acquaintance. _Goddamn, Max. How do you even function around the people here, with what happened to your family, to your people?_ Pulling Max along until they were in an alleyway, Chloe eyed her new companion. Max seemed anxious and a little twitchy to Chloe, like she wanted to make a break for the edge of town and not look back as she kept running.

"I thought you came to Arc on business some, dude. What's with the 'frightened animal' look?" Chloe asked, bracing her companion with her hands, "Max, you know-"

"I-I just don't like crowds, okay?" Max stammered, eyeing the people that observed them as they passed by the alleyway, "And you and I only just met and everything is moving so fast and-"

"Calm…the fuck…down," Chloe said slowly as she tried to reassure the spritely girl, "And here I was thinking we were becoming fast friends…"

"We _are_ ," Max implored, gripping Chloe's hands as they still held onto her shoulders, "That's just it. I've not had a friend since I was with my people. I'm all alone in a new place, s-surrounded by others who are so similar to those in the northern kingdom…and I only have you."

"What about Dana, or any of your other-"

"They're just business," Max said, her head downcast as the tone of her voice took on a deep sadness, "No one actually _wants_ to befriend the 'creepy magic girl' living up on the hilltop."

"…'Creepy Magic Girl'? They call you that?"

"Some do," Max said with a frown as she gently pulled Chloe's hands off her, "Magick is…off-putting to a lot of the people here. Those who are friendly with me or at least do business are few and far between. It is one of the reasons I only work to get by."

"Isn't that what all of us do?" Chloe replied as she hooked her arm around one of Max's and led her down the alleyway toward a side street, "Look, we'll take the back way to the tavern. I managed to keep my key to the back door, so you won't have to deal with an unwanted attention. I…I just thought you might like to see my mom. She brings you food, so you _must_ be on good terms with her."

Seeing Max nod quietly, Chloe led Max through the near-empty side street and another couple of alleyways in Arc. The buildings were low, a combination of wood and rock that required the occasional rebuilding; as a result, the main streets were open and easily accessible while the side streets and alleyways were a veritable labyrinth at times. Weaving through the darkened pathways hidden that would otherwise be completely hidden from a passerby, Chloe led Max through the unseen heart of Arc until they came across a back door with a crude painting of a whale to the left side of the doorway. Seeing Max's smile at the sight of the painting, Chloe nudged her companion's shoulder with her own.

"S'my handiwork," Chloe said with a grin, "I think I was… _seven_ winters old? Yeah, seven. It's a combination of ink and this crumbly blue stone you can find out in the woods. You mix it all with a little water and it makes a paste that I used for painting."

Chloe snorted at the memory, her mother livid as the "paint" would not come off while her father had laughed from her ingenuity. In the end, Chloe'd been made to do the dishes in the tavern for the next two weeks after her artistic experiment. To see it now made it even more worth it to Chloe, to see the look on Max's face at something she'd created. Pulling out an old key, Chloe carefully unlocked the door and cracked it open to ensure there was no one in the spare room. _No desire to have David jump at me with sword in hand, fucking tool. That, and I wouldn't want to scare my mother witless by popping up right behind her or within arm's reach without warning._ Motioning for Max to come inside, Chloe shut and locked the door behind them.

"And what is that?" Joyce asked, looking at the crystal pendant as Max and Chloe sat in what had been her old bedroom on the third floor. Still containing all the things she'd left behind, it was still useable as a sleeping space, save that the bed's frame had been converted to firewood a few winters back. With Max lying asleep on the mattress, the stress of being in such a public setting being too much for her, Chloe sat on a stool with her armor and tunic off as her mother examined her. Warming herself up next to the small fireplace, Chloe winced whenever her mother's cold hands touched her bare skin.

"Relax, mother," Chloe said, rolling her eyes only to get a smack upside the head, "Ow! It's a…friendship necklace, okay? We're totally gal pals!"

Seeing the narrowed glare from Joyce, Chloe let her head droop as her shoulders sagged. _How do I explain a life debt? Oh, by the way, I happen to be forever indebted to the socially-awkward sorceress living up on yonder hilltop?_ Chloe was tempted to say it was a token of love and that she had fallen for the sorceress, as the sorceress had fallen for her. Chloe couldn't speak for Max, but she certainly found the wisewoman interesting. _And cute_ , Chloe thought to herself as she glanced over to see Max soundly asleep, bundled up in a combination of threadbare blankets and furs, her eyes and hair all that was visible under the mound of bedding.

"I…I owe her my life, okay?" Chloe admitted, leveling her own stare as Joyce leaned over to re-examine the healed wound on her back, "Literally. I _owe_ her. This is just a means of keeping in touch, according to her, a way of both of us knowing where the other person is no matter what."

"She can't…I dunno, control you or whatever, right?" Joyce asked as she pulled her hand away, it only having been inches from the crystal pendant, "I mean, Max is a sweet girl, but magick is so awfully strange and I just don't know that much-"

"As I explained to your daughter, Joyce," Chloe heard Max say from the pile of bedding and furs, "I am not the type of sorceress to enthrall a person to my will. I can keep an eye on Chloe in case I have need of her, and she can call upon me for aid if she needs it."

Her mother startled, Chloe laughed a little as Max groggily sat up in the pile of furs. Her vest partially open, Max looked down and quickly grabbed at the deer pelt and adjusted it so that she wasn't exposed any more than she was otherwise. Her cheeks flush from eembarrassment Chloe watched as Max slowly got to her feet and gave her a chiding look. _Don't look at me like that, Max,_ Chloe thought as she stifled a laugh, _You're the one who nearly flashed a tit to my mother._ Chloe slipped her own tunic back on, being done with letting her mother poke and prod at her scar, and resumed warming herself by the fire as Max joined her.

* * *

 _I can't believe that happened!_ Max thought as she instinctively tugged at her vest, _Goddess, Joyce looked like she was affright to the point of passing out! It's only a breast._ Looking over at Chloe, seeing the mercenary nearly choke as she tried not to laugh, Max shook her head and ignored the woman as she squatted down by the fire and brought her hands close to the fire. Draping her cloak around her shoulders, Max let the warmth flood the space around her and smiled in a moment of contentment. Were it not for her business today, she'd have preferred to have returned to the tower after bathing; unfortunately, duty calls. _It's not a terrible duty, though. Just an awkward one. What'll make this trip bad is if I end up having to visit the governor or the magistrate – beastly, monstrous, greedy men._

Max had no love for the Prescott family, a fact known to most when she sent the youngest of the family running down the hill with his personal guard every time he dared to use her like some court jester. She did not fear the Prescotts; it was Magistrate Jefferson that made her skin crawl. There was a way the man looked at her, a gentle smile on his face that she knew to be misleading. Women had been sent to her by the focus of her business in town for treatment after his…roughness with them. For these healings, Max had charged nothing; in her tribe, the leadership had been a matriarchy. Seeing women roughhoused with bruises and cuts on their faces and bodies always sent Max into a fury once her charges had left the hilltop. Embers of an evening fire were stoked by the raw force of her rage, and she poured her fury into every bit of crafting she did until the anger ebbed away.

"Is it bad I just want to go back?" Max asked Chloe, looking up from her spot on the floor at her blue-haired companion, "It's not just the people, Chloe, the _masses_ of people. There are specific people in this village I'd like to avoid."

"The Prescotts?" Chloe asked, eyebrow quirked up when Max nodded, "Yeah, me too. I'd like to run Sean Prescott through for what he did to my family. If my father, my _real_ father had not been slain, my life would probably have gone in a far better direction."

"Not just the Prescotts, but yes, I can certainly see why it'd be wise to keep you separate from them," Max added, popping her knuckles as she rose to her feet, "I would not wish them ill if it meant losing my only friend here."

"Awww, aren't you adorable," Chloe teased, and Max rolled her eyes. She would not play Chloe's game. She wouldn't.

"You're insufferable," Max said, a hand on her hip as they both stood near the fireplace, "and ridiculous. You mock the person who saved your life, a magick-wielding wisewoman? Wowser, you're awfully bold for someone who just got back to health…"

"Did you just call me 'bold'?" Chloe asked, "My grandmother, my _mother_ calls me bold. Ugh, this is like a gods-damned nightmare. You…You are not allowed to sound like someone winters older than you actually are, 'kay?"

After assuring Joyce that the crystal was not of an ill sort, Max and Chloe headed out into the tavern proper; it being midday, Chloe was hungry and Max was in need of a drink to calm her nerves. After a shared meal of dried venison, half a loaf of bread, and some cheese, Max and Chloe finished their earthenware mugs of mead and headed back outside. Sated in both appetite and mind for the moment, Max enjoyed the slight buzz that came with her drinking and led Chloe along down the street before they took a left into an adjoining pathway that led up one of the hills that Arc was built upon.

A temple sat atop this particular hilltop, appearing like something akin to patchwork with its combination façade of brick, stone, and wood. A statue of a bearded man attired in a robe stood out in its courtyard with trees randomly growing throughout the space. Max cared not for the statue or the temple. _My people worship both the Sun and the Moon respectively, but these southerners seem to neglect what night brings. The darkness of night is not inherently evil; your wild imaginations and misleading doctrine only make it appear so._ An affront to her beliefs, Max scoffed as they passed the statue and ignored the curious look on Chloe's face as they approached one of sisters.

Maintaining the grounds, the blonde girl had her long hair tied up into a large bun as she tore out a handful of weeds all the way to their roots. Setting a planting of wildflowers in the weeds' place, Max watched the sister pat the ground and say a small prayer before rising to her feet and nearly jumping at the sight of Max and Chloe. Of all the people in town that she'd had to deal with, Sister Kate was one of the few Max trusted.

"Max!" Kate said, a radiant smile on her face as she pulled the wisewoman in for a hug, Max herself openly awkward about the contact, "Blessings and greetings! What brings you today? Has our Lord finally spoken to you?"

"Yes, and he would like to know what you've done with his wife!" Max retorted, laughing at the reproachful look on Kate's face. One of the few people she could let her guard down, as well as being away from the throngs of people down among the streets of Arc, Max felt herself loosen up, "Relax, holy woman. Kate, I've come for what you requested."

"Ah. Yes, of course," Kate said before looking over at an awkward-looking Chloe, "Who is this?"

"My thrall," Max teased, giggling when Chloe's head jerked and she glared at Max in shock, "I'm kidding. This is Chloe. I'm surprised, though. Aren't you both from here?"

"Eh, just because we're both from Arc doesn't mean we ever actually met," Chloe said, putting her hands behind her head as she looked up at the temple's stonework, "Besides, my family never came up here. We're more…old-fashioned."

"All are welcome here, always," Kate said, the sweet grin on her face returning for a moment only to fade when she looked over at Max, "Um, so our business…?"

"Lead the way."

The living quarters for the sisters were small rooms, each one containing a bed, table, chest, and chamber pot. The one Sister Kate led them into, however, contained only a bed upon which rested a woman bearing marks of violence upon her. Her right eye badly bruised, she was clutching her right forearm and Max saw the bloodied rag tied around it. _This woman was beaten and her arm was broken. The cruelty of men in this region…wowser…_ Kneeling beside the bed, Max threw off her cowl and placed her satchel next to where she sat with Chloe and Kate watching at the doorway.

"Are you…Are you the woman from the tower outside of town?" the girl asked, her bloodshot eyes blinking back tears.

"I am," Max replied simply as she brushed the girl's hair away from her face, "You can relax. I'm not here to harm you or hex you. Pay no attention to the people in town who cast about such rumors."

At that, Max shot Kate a look and the sister averted her gaze in embarrassment. When Max had first arrived at the tower and began to offer her services, the sisters and priestess had claimed Max was an evil witch who had come to sully the work of their patron god. It wasn't until Max began to heal the women who were beaten or abused in other ways by various men of the village that they grew silent. In another time, Max would have brushed such ignorance off; now, after everything with her tribe and her time in the northern kingdom, Max held every grudge closely. Especially the grudges of women being abused by men. _I wish Kate would let me know who does these things, but if I did anything she'd never request my assistance again. This poor girl would reside here in their lofty temple until she caved to their prayers and songs, taking the vows to sell her life away. The gods do not want our vows, but simply our good service and respect. You take the Father but deny him the Mother, turning Him into a stone artifice that is hollow rather than hallowed._ Returning her attention to the girl, Max gently took the injured forearm and took off the bandage coated in dried blood. Seeing the arm was badly bruised but not bearing an open wound, Max asserted that the break was closed and that she'd have to set it while the girl's skin was still unbroken.

"Drink this," Max said as she offered a vial of clear liquid to the girl, "The pain will be great, but I _can_ mend the arm. The bruise upon your eye will be easy enough with a salve I have on hand. By the way, what is your name?"

"Megan…," the girl replied, a questioning look on her face, "What will I owe-"

"You owe _nothing_. It is the person who did this to you that deserves to pay a price," Max said with gritted teeth before calming herself down, "Drink, Megan, and let the tonic ease your mind. Chloe, come here."

Chloe shambled over and took a knee next to Max, with Max reaching into her bag to pull out a thick strip of leather. Handing it to Chloe, Max saw the waggle of Chloe's eyebrows and rolled her eyes.

"Joke later, dork," Max said as she pried open the drugged Megan's mouth, "Set the strap between her teeth so she doesn't break any of them or bite her damn tongue off."

 _"_ Gotcha," Chloe said as she placed the strap in Megan's mouth and clamped the girl's mouth shut, "I've had this done to me before, to get out the occasional arrow. Didn't have some fancy-ass wisewoman magick lady to treat me all softly, though."

"Aww, poor you," Max said, not even looking at Chloe as she carefully felt along the injured forearm. Finding a knot halfway along the length of Megan's limb, Max steadied herself and instructed Chloe to hold Megan's elbow as steady as she could. With a sickening, sucking sound, Max pulled at the break and set the bone back in its proper place. Megan whimpered and Max hushed her softly, almost cooing at the injured girl, before she applied a healing salve on the bruised eye and then where the break had occurred on Megan's forearm, "Done."

* * *

Chloe watched Max's intense face as she set the girl's broken arm back into place. It made her sick that Max had to do things like this in her hometown. While she could care less about the majority of the townsfolk, Chloe still had fond memories of Arc and to see how low and unbecoming it was if one looked beneath the surface disgusted her. _She shouldn't be seeing this. Max should be experiencing the festivals and the celebrations, watching how some of the idiot townsfolk will dive into the bay after the first ice covers the waterfront. Fun stuff, happy stuff. To see…to_ know _that she's been doing things like this since she got here is hella fucked up._ Leaving Max to finish tending to the girl, Chloe stood out in the hallway and leaned against the wall. Closing her eyes, Chloe tried to block out the wrenching heartache of her father being struck down by the governor of the town. _I fucking hate the Prescotts. They didn't get elected to the position, didn't try and win the townsfolk over. No, they bought up nearly all of the town and just declared themselves our lords and masters. Fucking goddamn assholes, the lot of them._ Spitting on the hallway floor in disgust, Chloe opened her eyes and saw the look of shock on Kate's face.

"Sorry, Sister, but somethings are just too disgusting. Not being able to do anything about them only makes it all worse," Chloe said, seeing the sister's face redden, "Hey, uh, I'll clean it up. No need to-"

"You think I don't know how abominable all this is?!" Kate let out in a barely-contained fit of rage, "You think I can't understand what the poor girl is going through? Chloe, _I_ was the first girl Max treated here. _I_ was the one who convinced the sisters and the priestess, my own mother, to leave Max alone. Max comes to me because she saved me and because I'm the only one here who will work with her. You think I don't know? You have no idea, no clue at all…"

Chloe, speechless, watched Sister Kate walk into the room and close the door. Hearing raised voices emanating from inside, Chloe bit her lip in embarrassment at having made a Sister mad to the point of raging. _Um, Lord and Lady, if you're hearing this please don't hella smite my ass_ , Chloe silently prayed, _I…I was just fucking ignorant, that's all. How the hell am I supposed to know what Kate had been through, eh? How the fuck was I supposed to know?_

"You about done?"

Startled, Chloe instinctively reached for her sword only to stop with it partly drawn when she saw Max eyeing her with an amused look. _Oh, fuck off, Max. I don't care if you're some all-powerful whatever, you don't need to be a shit._ Sheathing her sword, Chloe eyed Max until she found herself smiling as well. Scratching at the back of her head, Chloe snickered as Max leaned against the wall on one shoulder.

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm done. Whether or not anyone listened… Well, who the fuck knows?" Chloe asked, chuckling, "I bet you do, right? All-powerful and whatnot, like the epic heroes you hear about in children's stories…"

"Yeah, all-powerful. Sure," Max said with a raised eyebrow as she smirked, "Sorry about Kate. Girls like Megan remind her of what happened to her."

"Dude, I didn't even know what the fuck had happened to her and I feel hella bad about it," Chloe said in an imploring tone, "You're not mad at me, are you?"

"What?" Max asked, her face a mixture of confusion and incredulousness, "Uh, _no_. Why would I be mad at you? C'mon, this was all I had to do in town. I'd like to go back home now."

"But we've barely spent any time here… I was hoping to show you some stuff…"

"…Can't you show it to me later?" Max asked, a sad look in her eyes, "I just healed a girl who'd been beaten by Goddess-knows-who and I am tired of people for today, Chloe. If you want to stay in town, then stay. Living with me or being with me every waking moment isn't a requirement or anything. Go, pretty Jay, fly free."

When Max turned to leave out the way they'd came in, Chloe had almost followed. It was like instinct to her, following the spritely young sorceress around. _I've known her for what, not even a full day, and I'm mooning over her like a fool? What the fuck is wrong with me…?_ Shaking her head, Chloe sighed and left the temple as well only to see that Max had seemingly vanished when she reached the courtyard. Shrugging, Chloe plucked an apple from one of the temple's trees and headed back down the hill as she munched away on the piece of fruit. The sky was clear and the air was crisp, the smell of sea and woodlands managing to permeate the otherwise offensive smell of people and shit that was more common with villages. Chloe knew of places down south where people who were of higher class would pour rosewater and scented oils outside their home to mask the atrocious smells both in and out of their villas. Snickering at the memory of her and Rachel leaving a brothel only to find one of the women dousing the doorway with an overly-strong fragrance, Chloe made her way through Arc and ended up back at her mother's tavern. Tossing what little coin she had left onto the bar, Chloe's pleading look was rewarded with food and drink that was clearly more expensive than the few coppers she'd had on her. _Shit, I left some of my things at the tower with Max. Well, guess I'll be going up there later, after all…_

"So, what was she like?" Taylor asked as she wiped down the bar and poured Chloe a mug of rich mead, "The wisewoman?"

"More like wise-ass," Chloe joked, waggling her spoon at Taylor as her childhood friend laughed, "No, she's actually… She's kind of confusing, really. When you're with her but there's no one else around she acts so confident and sure of herself. She's like raw power in a person-shaped bottle. But when we got into Arc, she was all shy and awkward and hiding. I don't think she's that keen on people, to be honest. Don't blame her either, at least with what she's seen."

"The girls, right?" Taylor asked, and Chloe's head snapped up to look at her with surprise, "A friend of mine was treated by her, said she was really kind but kinda sad."

Chloe just nodded and ripped a piece of the bread she was eating off to dunk it in the hearty soup that she'd been ladled. She wondered just how much Max had seen of Arc, really seen. _If all she's seen of this place is things like what happened to that girl and the ridicule she gets from the townsfolk… No wonder she feels so damn uncomfortable. Nice one, Chloe. You basically pushed her the fuck away._ Turning around on her stool, paying her drink more attention than her food, Chloe watched her mother's customers. Laughter and shouting were like lullabies to her as a child, the noise of the tavern clear even from the third floor; now, she saw it as a mask, people spending coin to hide their troubles behind the alcohol they consumed. Chloe couldn't blame them, she did it herself, but that didn't stop the bitterness in her stomach from twisting her up inside. The town had gone even more so to shit than it was when she'd left. _I haven't even considered looking to see if Dad's forge was still in the village square. Probably not, broken apart for kindling with the forge itself broken. Collecting dust and rodents, most likely. I don't have to be here anymore, though. I'm healed. I can't go back to the Jays, they threw me out when I couldn't perform my duties anymore. Maybe Max has something… No, why the fuck am I thinking of her again? Gods, Chloe, you see one nice set of tits and you're suddenly smitten? I'm such an ass-_

"Did you see the look on that wenches face after you'd replied to her request?" a voice asked, and Chloe looked toward the entrance to see a group of guardsmen enter with Magistrate Jefferson walking behind them, "Magistrate, she was all 'No, sir. _Please_ ' and then Jerrod put the boot to her, didn't you? Eh?"

"I paid good coin for that lass, and when I wanted seconds she had the nerve to push me off! Me!"

"Such fine upstanding men as yourselves deserve far better treatment than you receive," Chloe heard the magistrate say, though the look on his face was something akin to loathing, "Please, Jerrod, regale us again with your epic tale."

"Well, I-"

"Excuse me," Chloe said as she approached their table, seeing David sigh as he sat with them. _You'd better not have been in on their bullshit, you step-shit._ "What was the girl's name? The one you 'put a boot to'."

"Why?" the guardsman named Jerrod asked, "You lookin' to fill her boots? Or, rather, her knickers?"

"Chloe, please-" David said in a tired voice as he tried to step in-between them, Jerrod now to his feet as he stood eye-to-eye with Chloe.

"No," Chloe said, a sneer of repulsion on her face as she glared at the drunken guardsman, "Clearly _you_ have something to brag about? Was her name Megan? Please enlighten me how breaking a poor girl's arm makes you a warrior? Do you even know how to _use_ that cheese knife you probably call a sword?"

"Woman, I've beaten others for less," Jerrod said, and the customers began to edge toward the tavern's walls as space was made for what they all knew was going to be a fight. Jerrod unsheathed his sword and also pulled a dagger from his boot, "You want me to cut you, bitch?"

"Hella bring it, motherfucker," Chloe hissed, her teeth gritted and eyes narrowed to slits as she drew her own blades and spun them a couple times for effect, "I'm not some poor girl looking for a coin. I'm looking for that dot you call a pecker so that I might cleave it from your body as a public service."

The other guardsmen, save for David who had moved to keep the customers out of harm's way, drew their own swords and Chloe found herself at a disadvantage. _Five to one, eh? I've had worse, but I've had better._ Idiotically, the guardsmen came at her one at a time initially, Chloe swatting their backsides with the flat of her blades as she laughed and made a show of it. Incensed, Jerrod had drove straight at her and she'd broken his nose with the back of her gauntleted fist before giving him a knee to the stomach. Clanging her own blades together in a musical rhythm, Chloe had walked around the tavern with some of the patrons chuckling at her lively display. That all changed when the five humiliated guardsmen came at her together.

Like bullies they surrounded her, and Chloe knew she'd gone too far. She'd acted out instinct, used to the idea of someone having her back. Silently wishing that Max's crystal necklace was actually magical and not just a pretty bauble, Chloe winced when one of the guardsmen kicked her in the side only to get punched in the temple by Jerrod, his smile obscured by the blood pouring out of his nose.

"Not so funny now, is it girl? You fancy yourself a fighter, yet you've nowhere to go but down in a mess of blood and whimpering," Jerrod said with a sneer as all five advanced on him. It would have been over for Chloe, and she knew it, if the sounds of screams from outside hadn't caught everyone's attention.

The first bang on the closed front entrance came from a fist, that much was evident. When no one bothered to throw the latch open, the second bang was heavy and accompanied by a roar. _Is that…?_ Chloe thought as she held her side with one hand and pointed a blade at her attackers with the other, _Is that a bear?_ As if to answer her unspoken question, another roar and bang shook the door and this time David himself cautiously walked over to the door with his own sword drawn.

"…Uh, what?" David asked, confounded like most of the people inside the tavern at the idea of a wild animal trying to get into a tavern.

" _ **Let me in or I will break this door**_ **down!** _ **"**_ a voice shouted in a thunderous tone, the building almost seeming to shake from the ferocity in which the voice spoke.

"This is a private establishment!" David shot back only to backpedal when the door nearly gave way with another hard bang against it, "I'm warning-"

" _ **Enough!**_ "

The door was blown apart, people near the entrance sent reeling as Max entered the tavern in her full sorceress regalia on the back of a fully-grown bear. The guardsmen, their jaws hung open, ran to cover when the bear bounded over and Max reached out to scoop up Chloe before the bear turned just as quickly and ran out where the tavern's entrance had been. Chloe was in shock, looking over her shoulder to see David come running out only to just stand outside the tavern and stare after them as the bear Max rode, the bear _she_ _was also riding_ , bounded out of the village and into the woodlands nearby. It wasn't until the bear slowed to a walk and Max slid off that Chloe's muteness turned into a stream of words that had trouble coming out.

"The bear…but the door…and then you…but how?" Chloe uttered as she awkwardly slid off the bear to join her rescuer.

"The bear is my friend," Max said as she scratched behind the bear's ear, the animal making a pleased sound as she kissed it on the nose and pulled a fresh fish out of her satchel, "Smell it first, friend, and then go and find the rest. The stream is full of them."

Chloe watched in awe as the bear looked like it understood Max's words and took the fish into its mouth as it bounded off deeper into the woods. Chloe's jaw opened and closed as Max led her to a stump so she could sit, Max standing next to her as she brought out a clay bottle filled with water. Encouraged by Max to drink in small sips, Chloe's head cleared up more as the refreshing water brought her back to her senses just in time to get a punch in the shoulder from Max.

"You…You _idiot_!" Max cried out, her tone wounded and filled with worry, "What if I'd been further away? What if I hadn't responded at all? Did you not see how they treated that poor girl? They'd have done worse to you, then ran you through and where would I be? M-Mourning you, th-the only f-fucking friend I h-have…"

When Chloe watched Max break down into a fit of tears, she instantly lifted the small sorceress up and sat her on her lap, holding Max tightly as she rocked on the stump. _Gods, you were really worried about me. Like, hella worried._ Chloe knew her mother worried, knew that Taylor was concerned as they'd grown up together, but the last time someone had shown her as much concern as Max had was when she still had Rachel to look out for her. Feeling Max bury her face into the crook of her neck, Chloe's eyes became watery and she leaned her head onto Max's as she continued to rock them both.

"I'm… I'm sorry, Max, really sorry," Chloe said, her voice trembling slightly.

"Y-You're not allowed to do that again," Max said between sniffling, "I-I can't lose anyone else, and you don't treat me like a freak. Please don't do anything like that, at least when I'm not around. Promise."

"…I promise."

 **Author's Note -**

 **If someone were to do fan art of Sorceress Max and Mercenary Chloe riding a bear, I'm pretty sure I'd faint from the amazeballs.**

 **Ahem.**

 **Hope you all enjoyed this installment. Again, note would be longer but I'm busy with What If?, Press Play, and this story on top of everything else I've got going on!**

 **Make sure to review and I'll see you all later!**

 **Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**

 **Sinnamon Rolls? I'm watching you o_o**


	4. Prior To Hell Unleashing, Let's Eat

**"Calm Before The Storm", from the Final Fantasy X Soundtrack**

"Max?" Chloe asked a minute or so after waking up, the smell of fresh bread and mulled wine bringing her out of the dregs of her sleep, "Uh, Max?"

Looking around the campsite outside of the old tower near her childhood home of Arc, Chloe scratched at her head and winced when she pulled a beetle out of her matted blue hair. _Need another bath, though preferably with warm water this time_ , Chloe thought to herself as she groaned and stood. Dressed in only her tunic and breeches, she'd slept on the same straw mattress Max had given her to sleep on the first night she'd stayed. Thankfully it had not been as cold as the night before; even with the fire nearby, Chloe had woken up a couple times that night with a chill running through her weary bones.

Stretching as she yawned, Chloe instinctively reached back and ran fingertips across the length of her scar. She still couldn't entirely believe that she was healed; it wasn't that she doubted Max's sincerity or skills, but rather that Chloe had figured she'd be crippled for life. _Not crippled as much as some, but if you carry a blade and can't lift your sword arm you might as well be strapped to a chair and dragged around_ , Chloe thought as she followed the smell of bread and wine. Approaching the tower entrance, unusually locked, Chloe nearly swung her fist onto it before remembering the previous evening's events that had led to her staying with Max again.

"Y'know," Chloe had said as they'd reached the camp, "You could not call me an idiot for a minute and I'd be perfectly okay with that."

"But… _Ugh,_ idiot," had grumbled in reply, removing the headdress and setting it on her worktable before spinning on her heels to level a finger directly in Chloe's face, "….Just… You were fucking stupid, y'know that? What if you'd taken off the talisman, huh? You'd be cold as a cod in the bay, you…you…"

"No 'idiot', okay?"

"You _jackass_!" Max practically spat out, Chloe flinching at the irritation behind the words, "You no-good, dumbass, ungrateful-!"

" _Hey_ ," Chloe said, cutting off Max to their mutual surprise, "I'm, uh, I'm hella grateful. Hella. You weren't there until the end, Max! Do you even know _who_ I was fighting, or _why_?"

"I'm assuming it was something to do with the girl I healed…," Max said, the ire in her voice wavering as she slumped onto the ground. Her posture a visual expression of her fatigue, Max looked up at Chloe with weary eyes, "I just don't understand city people…"

"Uh, Arc _isn't_ a city, dude," Chloe said pointedly as she sat down in the dirt across from Max, "You've been to the northern kingdom, so you-"

"It's all the same to me," Max said, fatigue evident in her voice, "…You need a place to stay?"

"Well, I don't fucking expect to be welcome in the village for the time being…"

"You'll be welcome if I go with you."

"Max, you _rode a bear into town._ You'll be lucky if the guards don't try and spear you on sight!" Chloe said, fighting the smirk trying to take shape, "C-C'mon, you seriously…?"

Max started to giggle, Chloe listening as the melodic sound came in small and infrequent bursts at first before turning into an all-out fit of laughter that took hold of her as well. Laughing together, Chloe and Max fell to the ground across from each other and laughed at the fact that Max had ridden a bear not only into town but inside Joyce's tavern. Commiserating together in saddened humor over the likelihood of being chased out of Arc because of a bear and Chloe's swordplay at the Two Whales had come, Chloe and Max had laid on the ground for hours as they imagined scenario after scenario where they would try to sneak into Arc only to be chased out with spears and swords drawn. Max talked of seeing the fortifications of the northern kingdom, the ballista and giant crossbows along the structure's corner towers.

"What about a dragon?" Chloe asked, her voice turning hoarse from their mutual hysterics.

"Dragons aren't around anymore, Chloe," Max said as she sat up, pulling Chloe into a sitting position when the blue-haired mercenary raised her arms toward the sorceress, "They died out or flew off to unknown lands centuries ago."

"I suppose your people have some all-knowing history of dragons and all the other magical creatures…like owlbears…"

"Owlbears?"

"Owlbears."

"You're high," Chloe snorted when she heard Max's reply, looking over to see Max looking at her with a wry smirk on her face, "You're definitely high."

"On life, maybe," Chloe said, patting her empty coin purse, "Not enough coin to get high. I could get high on you, though."

"Wowser, that was _lame_ …like your arm the other day," Max said with a snort, rolling her eyes when Chloe's jaw dropped in shock, "What a load of shit. You're not shocked, so stop pretending."

"…Worth a shot," Chloe said with a shrug, "So, what now? Hope you didn't have any bidness in Arc tomorrow, 'wisewoman'."

"No, as a matter of fact, I didn't," Max said as she got to her feet and headed to the tower, "You coming?"

"Hmm?"

"I've got food and wine in the tower, and I could use some help bringing it out. I _do_ have only two arms, sellsword."

"That's a dirty word, _witch_ ," Chloe retorted, smiling in triumph when Max opened her mouth to speak before clamping it shut, " _Ha_! Next time I'll use your full-"

"Don't get cocky, Chloe."

The night had proceeded with a fair amount of mirth, spiced wine and a small cask of beer with a spread of various foods: bread, cheese, salted pork, and fruit. Chloe had lazily eaten and drank her fill while lying in the grass while Max had sat on a tree stump near the hilltop's tree line with a mug of wine, cheese wedge, and half a loaf of bread. Looking at how the sorceress's freckled skin and coppery hair seemed to glow in the moonlight, Chloe felt an odd sensation in her stomach. _Butterflies? For her? I've not felt such a flutter in me since I was still running through Arc, barely past my twelfth winter. Also, she's not a flashy piece of ass. Max has a head on her and a keenness that matches mine. I'd have to woo her or catch her unawares with a kiss. Hmm, she_ is _hella cute sometimes. When she doesn't look like she could melt someone's face off with a stare_ _…_

Now, with day having broken, Chloe remembered that she'd passed out just as she'd thought of trying to flirt with the sorceress. Unclenching her fist, Chloe let the pounding on the door turn into as polite a knock as she could manage. Not hearing anything, Chloe twisted her lips into one corner of her mouth and narrowed her eyes. _She ignoring me_ _…_ _?_

"What?" Chloe heard Max ask to her relief. "Chloe?"

"Yeah, s'me. What's up? You never lock this up."

"You've slept here twice, Chloe," Max said from the other side of the door as she pulled back the bolt and opened it, "You don't know what I really do up here aside from my work."

Dressed in an oversized tunic, her coppery hair a mess, Chloe smiled as the small girl before her looked less like a fearsome, beast-riding sorceress and more like a girl needing to be bedded. Nearly moving in for a kiss right then and there, Chloe's last inch of resolve took hold and she stopped and exchanged the leaning in for a step into the doorway to seek out the food and drink she'd caught scent of.

"Breakfast?" Chloe asked, eyes alight at the idea of something hot for her morning meal.

"…I'm in the midst of making something, yes," Max said, eyeing Chloe with a raised eyebrow, "But I'd like some baked fish to go with the bread and salt. Go get some."

"What? I'm a guest!" Chloe said with mockingly indignant tone, "Do you have anything I can fish with?"

"What, you can't stab one with a blade?" Max asked, smiling when Chloe scratched the back of her head with eyes darting off to the side, "Okay, Amazon. Wait out here and I'll put the bread and wine out to cool while we fish. Won't take much to warm them back up, and I prefer my bread a little crunch from being toasted over a fire."

"That's hot," Chloe said as Max began to strip out of her tunic to change into her breeches and vest, "Like you."

"What?" Max asked, looking up with only her leather breeches on as she'd not caught the tail end of Chloe's mumbling, "D'you say something?"

"I like my food hot," Chloe blurted out, her cover-up sounding awkward to her despite coming out of her own mouth, "Y'know, a hot breakfast being hella agreeable and all."

"…You're weird," Max said, eyes narrowed at the bluenette for a moment before she shrugged and continued getting dressed as Chloe glanced at her lean form every now and then when Max wasn't paying attention.

* * *

"Max?" Chloe asked, the sorceress having lost her in the woods. Chloe'd known the forest outside of Arc like it were her second home when she was a child; now, many winters having passed, only through the more blatant landmarks was she able to find her way to the waterfront that Max had selected. Not paying attention as she looked around in confusion, Chloe didn't notice the fish until it smacked her in the face. "What the fucking hell?!"

"Ha!" Chloe heard Max cry out with a triumphant tone that got under the mercenary's skin as she spun around to try and find the victory cry's source.

" _Not_ cool, Max!" Chloe shouted, teeth bared as her hands instinctively went to her blades.

"Not cool, but cold and uncooked!" Max shouted, Chloe picking up on how far her prey likely was, "Look for me all you want, dork, but you cannot find that which doesn't wish to be found!"

Chloe spun again and heard the splashing of something wading through water along the shore. Smiling, Chloe prowled through the overgrown brush and trees until she came to the forest's edge and stepped out onto the rocky beach with a look of predatory glee on her face. The deer she found looked indifferently at her. _It was just a deer,_ Chloe thought, groaning a little before noticing that the deer was staring at her a little oddly, _Wait. She_ is _a sorceress_ _…_ _and she_ did _ride a bear into town_ _…_ _Um_ _…_

"Max…?" Chloe asked as she looked at the deer, its ears twitching in response to Chloe speaking, "Max, uh, are you a deer?"

The fish smacking her in the back of the head from the opposite direction answered her question and she turned to see Max leaning against her spear with another two fish tied together with a leather cord. The brilliant smile and gleam in the smaller girl's eye deflated Chloe's irritation somewhat and she picked up the fish only to chuck it back at Max. Watching Max stab the fish with her spear while the it was in mid-air, Chloe smirked as the little sorceress appeared to be showing off. _I get it, Max. You're some kind of assassin sorcerhuntress or whatever._

"Was hitting me with the fish necessary? I mean, really?" Chloe asked as she scowled at the grinning brunette.

"Not necessary, but fun. Watching you get lost was a little funny," Max said, pointing up at the trees with her spear after she'd tied the fish Chloe had thrown at her onto the other two she was carrying, "Where's the fourth fish, the one I threw at you first?"

"I dunno, probably back in the water. You _did_ hit me with it by the small inlet back in the woodland," Chloe shrugged and pointed off into the forest, wincing when Max's smile turned into a chagrined look of disappointment, "Shit. You were giving me my half, weren't you?"

"Uh-huh," Max said as she handed Chloe the fish she'd caught before wading back out into the coastal waters, "Gimme a moment and I'll have _another_ fourth fish."

"That's not really necessary, Max," Chloe said, Max looking over her shoulder as though to imply _Really?_ "Let's just go back. One fish-"

"One fish'll be plenty for me," Max said as she took one for herself and left Chloe with the remaining two, "You need to eat more to keep your strength up. My treatment of you still takes some time for a full recovery."

The walk through the woods was calm, Chloe chattering about how she'd ran through these woods with some of the people Max had likely met since coming to Arc. Knowing that Max already knew Dana, Juliet, and Kate, Chloe had laughed when Max rolled her eyes at the mention of Warren. A "poor soul", Max had called him, Chloe snickering a little as Max had talked of how every time Warren came up to ask her something about magick she always left him with more questions.

"He's funny, but doesn't really seem to understand what he's asking, or whom he's asking the questions to," Max had told Chloe as they'd found a small path leading up the hill.

"What do you mean?" Chloe had asked in response, fish slung over her back as she carried Max's spear for her.

"He seems to think that what knowledge he has means that I will pursue a relationship with him. Warren's nice, but his breath reeks of beer and bad ale so often that I imagine if someone split him open you'd find he would only bleed the same cheap alcohol he seems to drink every day."

Having snorted at the jab, Chloe wondered what Max had thought of her upon their initial meeting. _She nearly bowled me over when I was heading up to see her. She was, still is, like a different person at the time. Tattered clothes and an inability to look me in the eye_ _…_ _The girl standing before me now is starkly different from the girl who ran into me._

"Max, what'd you think of me when we first met?" Chloe had asked.

"…I thought you seemed like you'd had a rough life. The scar alone made me sad," Max said, her voice seeming to become distant as the tower became visible ahead, "I liked your hair. I noticed it when I nearly ran you over at the waterfront and managed to not smile when I saw you while Prescott and his goons were bothering me."

Chloe smiled at the memory of watching Max in action, the energy crackling from such a small form still astounding. Looking at Max from the corner of her eye, Chloe gazed at the small upturn of Max's lips into a smile; Chloe wanted to press further, inquire as to what else Max was thinking of. Choosing instead to keep her barrage of questions at bay, the young mercenary instead walked ahead a few paces with a swagger in her step as she glanced over her shoulder to wink at the smaller girl.

"Keep up!" Chloe said with a satisfied grin, the thin-lipped scowl on her companion's face giving away Max's thoughts regarding the blue-haired girl baiting her.

"Yes, because it's _my fault_ that you're freakishly tall…"

"I'm not freakishly tall. You're just hella short."

"Ass."

"Teeny-tiny."

"Chloe…"

"Pixie."

" _Chloe_ _…_ "

"No!" Chloe snapped her fingers with a look of elation on her face, "You're like some vaguely-oversized fairy!"

"…Ass…"

* * *

"How's the fish?" Max asked between bites of toasted bread and cooked fish, the empty mug that had contained her wine tipped over at her feet.

"S'good," Chloe said with her mouthful of food as she swallowed hard before chugging down half her second mug of wine, "Wish you had something stronger, though. By the way, what're you up to today? Or is it 'we'?"

"It's 'we', for the time being," Max said as she tossed the last of her bread at a thankful Chloe and began to clean up the area around them of fish bones and her empty mug, "I have a house call."

"…I thought you didn't have business in town," Chloe said, alarm instantaneously on her face as she thought of their jokes about the guardsmen from the night before possibly coming true. She wasn't worried about losing the fight; it was the having to fight that bothered her. _I'm not all that willing to throw down again and possibly get myself banned from my childhood hometown_ , Chloe thought to herself only to visibly relax when Max smiled at her.

"Not in town," Max shook her head and pointed in the opposite direction of where Arc was, "Dana's place."

"The huntress?"

"Yeah. She wants me to show her how I make my poultices and we were going to hunt together. She'll be okay with you tagging along if you're with me."

"So I'm baggage, huh?" Chloe asked as she finished the last of her fish, "Maybe I'll just go back to Arc, then. Don't want to be a nuisance."

Max rolled her eyes at the blue-haired girl's statement and looked over at her with a dull, weary glare.

"Are you serious? You're _not_ a… Wait, are you trying to guilt-trip me?" Max asked, eyes narrowing as her lips pursed, "Ooh, Chloe, that's not very nice. You're a mean person."

"Duh," Chloe said with a snort, the jovial moment cut short as she watched Max get to her feet and collect her satchel, some things off of her worktable, and her spear, "Wait, you're going to leave me here?"

"Why would I bring someone along who's just tried to make me feel bad for no other evident reason than a laugh?" Max asked, glancing over her shoulder at Chloe as she paused on her way out of the hilltop clearing, "That was unkind, and I get enough of that in town or when I was at the northern kingdom. I-I don't need anymore, and I don't want any."

"Max," Chloe said as she scrambled to her feet, reaching for the young sorceress's hand, "It _was_ just a joke. I…I didn't mean to actually _guilt_ you into anything. I'm hella sorry. For real."

"…You're _really_ sorry?" Max asked, turning around to eyeball the mercenary with an irreproachable stare, poking Chloe in the chest with the butt of her spear, "If you're really sorry you can come with me, but if I pick up on this being more bullshit I'll knock you out and leave you outside a gate to Arc."

"…Damn, you don't fuck around," Chloe said, running back to where she'd been sitting to grab her blades before running after Max as the sorceress was already walking along the path, "Hey! Wait up, Max!"

"You could at least try and catch up with me," Max commented offhandedly as Chloe followed a short distance behind. Halfway down the hill, Max had taken to jumping from one large rock to the next as they haphazardly would border the path in odd formations. Jumping down from one of said boulders, Max stuck her spear in the ground and marched back up the hill to where Chloe had leaned against a tree, "Shit, I forgot you were still recovering. I-I'll take you back to camp and go-"

"No!" Chloe shouted, eyes widening for a moment before she leaned back against the tree and panted a little to catch her breath, "I mean, I want to go with you. Besides, I thought the talisman would let you know if I was about to pass out or whatever."

"You were about to pass out?" Max asked as she let Chloe lean on her, an arm draped onto her shoulder as she helped the weary mercenary downhill.

"Well _no_ , but you never know when these things might happen," Chloe said, her voice tremulous as the words came in short bursts like she was using her breathing to force them out, "I… Can we stop, take a break? Please?"

Easing Chloe over to a small overhand that was a little off the path they were using, Max leaned her companion against the cool stone and sat alongside her, taking off her headdress to scratch at her unruly copper hair. _The poison really_ did _take its toll_ , Max thought as she cast a furtive glance over at the mercenary, Chloe nearly asleep as her head bobbed a little. _I should just carry her back to camp. Not like I couldn't. Wait. Wowser, why do I even care? I've known this girl for all of what, a couple days?_

"Yes, and yet you've already tied her unto yourself with a life debt," the sorceress muttered to herself, Max looking over at Chloe as the bluenette was asleep, "This girl… There's something about her. Hmm…"

Stroking the azure hair, dark blonde roots visible where the dye was fading, Max enjoyed its softness. Remembering how soft her mother's hair had been when she had run fingers through it, Max smiled a little at the slumbering mercenary. The memory also left a sick feeling in the pit of her stomach; withdrawing her hand, Max nudged Chloe awake and stood up.

"You should go back to camp," Max said, her voice sterner than she'd intended. Wincing at the other girl's visible disappointment, Max sighed and leaned against her spear, "You really don't give a shit about your own health, do you?"

"I'm breathing, and my heart is beating in my chest," Chloe said, thumping a fist on her chestplate, "Hella good enough for me."

Roughly halfway to Dana's home, Max halted in mid-step at something that caught her attention. Visible from the corner of her eye, Max turned her head and what she saw had the young sorceress running with Chloe walking slowly behind. Not caring how long it took Chloe to join her, the image before her sent Max to her knees as tears silently ran down her face. _You didn't deserve this, my friend. I'm so, so sorry_ _…_ _The people of the south can be so heartless._

Lying on the ground, tongue sticking out of its mouth, was the bear that had let Max carry her and Chloe to safety outside of Arc when Max had sensed Chloe was in danger through the talisman. Summoning the animal to her campsite, Max had surprised the beast with the kindness of her request. Now, lying in a dried pool of blood with gore and viscera emanating from a large slash along its abdomen, the bear was nothing more than dead flesh as Max reached over and closed the poor animal's eyes. Hearing Chloe finally catch up, Max looked up at her and was surprised by the other girl taking a knee so as to hold her.

"Uh…," Max said, awkwardly reaching around at first before pressing her face into Chloe's neck as she cried, "T-They didn't even do it to hunt. He's dead because of me, b-because he carried us to safety when I a-asked him to, Chloe."

"I'm so sorry, Max," Max heard Chloe whisper into her ear and it only led Max into pressing herself more tightly against the bluenette, "No doubt either Jeffershit or Prescott were behind this. Um, is there anything we need to-"

"Not now," Max said, absently stroking the nape of Chloe's neck as she let the tears fall from her face. Feeling odd by how comforted she was in Chloe's arms, Max pulled back and slowly got to her feet with Chloe following suit, "When we reach Dana's I'll ask her to come here with us after the hunt so that the poor creature might be of some use. All I have is my spear, and you your blades – not enough to at least take what the bear's body offers in use, let alone what it deserves in terms of respectful thanks."

Walking back to the trail, Max felt Chloe's fingers brush against her own and she looked over to see Chloe watching her silently. Slipping her fingers between her companions, Max let Chloe hold her hand as they walked in the direction of Dana's cottage. Catching Chloe glance at her every now and then, Max gave her a sidelong look before speaking up.

"What?" Max asked, the anxiousness of her companion wearing off on her. Max was already anxious and upset as it was; she didn't want any more drama added on.

"I've just never seen anyone cry over a dead animal. At least, not one that wasn't a pet," Chloe said, her words coming out slow and methodical as Max picked up on her new friend trying to formulate the right chain of words that wouldn't come across wrong, "Is that how it is with your people? Reverence for nature and all that shit?"

"Yes, 'all that shit' is very important to us," Max replied in jest, a knowing grin on her face that seemed to ease her companion somewhat, "There's a balance to things, a give and take. When we hunt, we thank the animal we kill for the food and goods it will provide us. We leave tokens for it in its final moments. My father used to carry around a bag of seeds and nuts to place before the nose of deer, dried fish for bears and larger beasts. We thank them and respect them by using as much of their body as we can for food, clothing, and tools. What doesn't get used is burned and the ash is collected so as to be used in spellcraft."

"What good do ashes do? What, you put it into a potion or elixir and turn into an animal?" Chloe asked, pausing when Max's eyes widened, "No, no fucking way…"

"Relax, dork," Max said, a dry chuckle escaping her lips as she nudged Chloe with her shoulder, "Nothing so…weird. No, it's used as a base for ink to write with. Also, if a salve needs to be thicker or heavier, ash is added. It's not that uncommon, using ash for things like that. I've seen people in the village and in the northern kingdom use coals from a fire to write or mark things down."

"So, you _can't_ turn into an animal…"

"…Why do you ask?"

" _Why_ do you _avoid_ the question?"

Max's response of a smile garnered a chagrined, bleak expression from Chloe that had Max laughing, her spirits restored somewhat. Something about the swordswoman walking with her put Max at ease, the easy banter between them and how Chloe's smile _and_ scowl seemed to draw mirth out of her; there would be a time for her to pay respects to the poor creature that had borne her and Chloe out of harm's way, but not right now. _Right now, we need to head to Dana's so that I might instruct her on better poultices as well as hunting. My own stores will need resupply if I'm to feed another mouth as well as my own for the time being. Wowser, how did I become so entangled with this lackadaisical blue-haired girl from just a healing? I know I invoked a life debt as payment, but she could have paid that off easier than it seems. Goddess, I could have simply told her to get lost. Why this girl?_ Max asked herself as she looked over at an oblivious Chloe.

 _Why you? Who are you, to me?_

* * *

Dana's home was a cottage-sized dwelling that was equal parts stone, wood, and mud wall. The roof was freshly thatched with layers of straw and the smell of cooking meat wafted around from the other side of the small structure. Taking her headpiece off and setting it by the entrance, Max and Chloe followed the scent of food to find Juliet cooking a haunch of meat on a spit. Moving to the fire, Max warmed her hands as she watched Chloe stare at the food. _She'll still be hungry, her body having to recuperate from having all that poison in her system. I got rid of it, but she'll need more nourishment than usual for a couple more days in all likelihood._ Squatting beside the fire, Max exchanged greetings with Juliet.

"Your patroness left without me?" Max asked, looking to her left and right, "I see no sign of Dana anywhere."

"…That's because the first thing you bothered to smell was meat, wisewoman," a voice whispered, Max and Chloe both leaping to their feet in anxious surprise to find Dana standing behind them with a sly grin on her face, "For a girl raised in the far north, you sure are oblivious sometimes."

Max, smiling, embraced Dana before shoving her shoulder. She appreciated any jest as much as the next person, but between Chloe's sass and everything that had occurred the past couple days, Max was more than a little on edge.

"You ass," Max said, the scowl on her face breaking as a smile reluctantly took shape, "What is it with giving me a hard time? Is it _really_ that much fun?"

"Uh, yes and yes," Chloe answered, Max glaring at her only to signal defeat with a raising of her hands when Juliet giggled.

"S'fine. Whatever. I don't _have_ to help you with your poultices," Max said to Dana before looking over at Chloe, "And I certainly don't have to take care of you."

"Who the fuck said you had to, Max?" Chloe asked, head tilted to one side as she looked at Max skeptically.

"Uh, the armed guardsmen you were trying to take on by yourself, jackass," Max said, failing to pick up on the teasing aspect of Chloe's remark.

There was an awkwardness after that, Max's ability to discern how people would tease each other sometimes overridden by her anger issues and social anxieties around others. Looking over at Chloe, seeing the mercenary pressing her knees to her chest as she sullenly watched the fire, Max bit her lip and realized she'd said something to upset her companion.

With Juliet stripping the cooked meat off to dry and cure, Max watched Dana assemble her lightweight arm and slip the leather pieces into place before she raised a cocked eyebrow at the young sorceress. Looking over at Chloe, Max got up and offered her hand to the blue-haired swordswoman.

"C'mon," Max said, sticking her hand out a little closer in Chloe's direction, "We need to hunt if you're staying with me."

"Who said I want to stay with _you_?" Chloe said, clearly upset at Max.

"…I'd like it if you would," Max said, surprising herself a little with how softly she spoke the words, as though it were an intimate confession of sorts. Feeling Chloe's hand slip into her own, Max smiled as she pulled her companion up. _This girl_ _…_

 _There's something about this girl_ _…_ _Weird_ _…_

 ** _Author's Note -_**

 ** _A little shorter than the others, but the future chapters will be closer to this length. I don't want to stretch out the story and I feel like 4000 to 5000-ish words is a good-sized entry._**

 ** _I wanted to just show them having some time together with nothing else going on except them living and going about a day. Yes, it_ is _a fantasy AU - that doesn't mean that everything has to be swords and sorcery, though. I'm kinda getting into slice-of-life stuff, it helps with character development and is a refreshing break from the mayhem of previous stories I've done._**

 ** _That said, shit goes down next chapter. You didn't think Max was just going to cry over her dead animal friend, did you? Are you for cereal?_**

 ** _Review, and I'll see you all later!_**

 ** _Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls! :)_**


	5. Pain and Fury

**"Run" by AWOLNATION**

The air was still save for a faint breeze emanating from the northeast as Max stalked her prey. Barefoot in the green earth as she soundlessly weaved through the lush trees of the forest, the young sorceress recalled her time hunting with her father through their own native woodland. Careful to avoid anything that would reveal her presence, Max slowly brought her arm up; spear raised, Max let her weapon fly and the blade barely whistled as it cut the air before piercing the buck's neck clean through. Running swiftly through the wood, dodging the low branches and thickets that were scattered along her route, Max knelt beside her the deer and brought out a handful of seeds and berries that she had collected while tracking the beast.

"Go in peace, and know that you will be remembered," Max whispered softly to the deer, rubbing its side as the deer looked up at her, "Easy, friend. This journey is over. A new one awaits. Thank you for your flesh, and I will see you in the valley beyond this land."

The deer, blood trickling out of its open mouth and nostrils, took a sniff of the seeds and berries Max had laid in front of its nose. Taking a berry, Max crushed it and placed the fruit paste on the deer's tongue. The animal, tracking Max's movements, looked back up at her less wide-eyed than before and Max watched a death rattle inside the deer's abdomen signal the end of its mortal life. Wiping a tear from her eye, Max closed the deer's eyes shut and withdrew her spear quickly so as to wipe the blade clean on a ragged bit of cloth she kept in her satchel. It had been relatively quick for the poor animal; for some of Max's first kills in years past, the strikes had been too shallow or not fatal at all. Crying as her father led her, Max would be forced to track the wounded animals she'd hunted and end its suffering as their cries echoed through the trees.

"Remind me not to piss you off," Max heard Chloe say and she turned to look up at the rogue, "Max, that was… Hey, are you okay? Why are you crying?"

Chloe knelt beside Max and placed a hand on the sorceress's shoulder. She'd seen Max upset before, but even those tears had been tinged more with anger and hurt than the unadulterated sadness Chloe saw in the eyes of her new friend and companion. Wiping some of Max's tears away, Chloe was even more surprised when the young sorceress laid her head against Chloe's shoulder. _Holy fuck, Max. You're_ _…_ _You seem so small, so vulnerable right now. Is_ this _how you really are, the young girl I saw in rags days past who looked more bewildered by everything than the sorceress you presented yourself as? Wow, Chloe, that was hella deep. Way to get all philosophical or whatever. Just hold her, dumbass!_

Never having really consoled anyone before, usually playing the role of comedian whenever someone she was with fell into a sour mood, Chloe awkwardly reached around and patted Max's shoulder as she used her other arm to hold Max closer to her. Max seemed so frail to Chloe, as though the strength was gone from not only the smaller girl's muscle but every part of her. It frightened Chloe, Max's weakness, though not as much as her friend's strength and wrath. _And I've only just seen peeks of how mad Max can become_ _…_

"C-Chloe…?" Max asked, sniffling as she rubbed the wetness from her eyes while still in Chloe's embrace, "Sorry for bawling like that. I… It's hard, watching any living creature pass on. Especially when it is by your own hand. Wowser."

"Hey," Chloe said, a hand on Max's shoulder as she watched her companion sigh, "You'll put the deer to good use, right? Like with what you said about the bear? Using every bit of the animal as a means of paying respect? Even the ashes of what scraps you can't find a use for will still serve a purpose. You're pretty fucking cool, Max, though I still think you're weird as fuck."

Max's weak laughter eased Chloe's mind a bit. The smirk on her friend's face crinkled the freckled nose in a way that popped an idea of kissing Max's tear-dampened lips into Chloe's head. _Where the fuck did that come from?_ Chloe thought as she smirked back, their faces inches from one another's as Chloe leaned her head down, _Sure she's hella cute but_ _…_ _but_ _…_

 _Why "but"? She_ is _cute, and amazing. She saved your life, dorkus! Just try and see what she does!_

Chloe leaned in closer, felt Max's breath brush across her face, and brought her lips to the other girl's; immediately, Chloe pressed the kiss onto Max's lips and felt the sorceress tense up before hesitantly kissing back. _Awkwardly, too. You smacked your teeth against mine, Max. Am I_ _…_ _?_ Chloe pulled back a little, a grinning look of disbelief on her face as Max averted her gaze and blushed. _Gods, I_ am…

"I'm your first kiss," Chloe said, the grin still on her face as she sat back on her haunches and giggled a bit at the delight of being the first person to kiss Max that way, "Wow, Max. I'd… Well, I mean I wouldn't peg you as the kind to go messing around with anyone at random. I just figured, y'know, that you might have been-"

"W-What was that about?" Max blurted out, anxious and confused at the mixed feelings Chloe's kiss had stirred within her. She wanted more, wanted to feel Chloe's breath on her face again; at the same time, Max had lost so much already that the idea of being with someone only to lose them as well terrified her. Also, she'd only known Chloe for a short time and was not as into random make-outs as Chloe seemed to be, "I mean, well, it was really nice…and I'd like more. I just… It's all so complicated."

"…I get it," Chloe said, her cool temperament warding Max off as she tried to reach out for the blue-haired swordswoman, "S'cool. Just… I just thought there might be something there, but I guess I was hella wrong. Um, we should collect the deer and head back to Dana's. Oh, and my rabbits."

"You caught something?" Max asked, looking over to where Chloe had leaned her swords against a tree; a brace of coneys were tied together with a leather cord next to Chloe's blades, "Why didn't you say anything, Chloe? I didn't think you could hunt anything with your swords, that's so cool!"

"Oh _ha_ , Max, that's… Hold up, are you serious?" Chloe didn't know if she should take a bow or scoff at the amazed brunette, "You for real didn't think I could catch anything with just my swords? I am offended."

"What? Chloe, I didn't mean anything bad-"

"Offended. Taken offense. Bad words. Meanie. Butt," Chloe said, arms crossed and head turned away from Max, though Max could make out the slight upturn at one corner of her friend's lips.

"You asinine troll!" Max cried out, getting to her feet so she could shove Chloe, "You made me think you were mad at me, you…you asswipe!"

"What's an asswipe?" Chloe had never heard of the insult before, irritated at the look of surprise on Max's face at her question, "You mean you're calling me the thing you might wipe your ass with? Ew, man! Gross!"

Playfully shoving Chloe, Max shook her head and grabbed the rabbits, looping the cord binding them together to her belt as she hefted the deer over her shoulders. Chloe was perplexed at the sight of such a small young woman walking with a full-grown deer on her shoulders. It made no sense, defied what logic Chloe knew. _It's obviously magic, but holy shit that thing's nearly as big as her!_ Chloe thought as she stared intensely at Max, looking away quickly when Max paused and looked over her free shoulder. _Shit! Did she see me?_

"Can I help you?" Max asked, still facing forward with a smile on her face as Chloe muttered something, "What was that last? I could've sworn I heard something-"

"Are you carrying your _entire_ kill?" Dana asked, cutting Max off as she and Juliet appeared, balancing a younger buck than Max's between them, "I forget that you have magic, sometimes. Your skill as a huntress is impressive for someone whose talent lies elsewhere, Max. The brace of rabbits yours, too?"

"No, they're mine," Chloe said in a disgruntled voice as she caught up with the them and swiped the brace of coneys from Max's belt, Max looking at her wide-eyed for a moment before shrugging, "Oh, what _ever_. Mistress of Magic over here thinks she's gods' gift, pfft. In truth, she's just a li'l meanie."

"I wasn't being mean! It was just a joke!" Max said, spinning around only to narrowly miss goring Juliet in the side with her buck's antlers, "What about you, huh? You _kissed_ me?"

"You kissed me _back_!"

"…So?"

"So? _So_?"

Max and Chloe had been glaring at each other during the exchange when they both stopped at the sound of laughter. Chloe peering over Max's shoulder with Max turning her head to look in the same direction as her companion, they both saw that Dana and Juliet had dropped their kill on the ground so they could sit on a fallen tree and watch them. Juliet was red in the face, her eyes watering from laughter, with Dana covering her mouth to stifle her own laughter. Letting out an "Ugh!" at the same time, Max and Chloe looked at each other in fevered irritation before wilting under the sound of Dana's laughter getting the best of her. Rolling her eyes, Chloe walked ahead of Max and passed the other women as she headed toward camp.

"Chloe, wait up!" Max cried out after her, "Please?"

Max had only just caught up with Chloe, the other girls past them after a glare from the sorceress when Chloe spun on the heel of her boot and frowned at Max in what the brunette took as disappointment.

"What the fuck is 'so?', Max?" Chloe asked, surprising Max with how hurt she came off, "I…I thought you might've wanted to kiss me back, and you did, but you make it sound like it was nothing!"

"What do you want me to say, Chloe?" Max said, walking along the path to Dana's cottage with Chloe alongside her, "I've… I've never been kissed before, and I've only recently met you. Isn't there some sort of order these things go in? My people-"

"I'm not one of your people, Max," Chloe said, "I like you, okay? I mean, you're strong and capable but you can also be the sweetest and funniest person I've met. What's not to like?"

"Chloe, I-"  
"Look," Chloe said as they reached the outskirts of the forest near Dana's cottage, "Just think about it, okay? And don't tell me that kiss back didn't mean anything or give me another 'so?' because you took your sweet-ass time kissing me back."

Reaching the cottage, Chloe was going to untie the coneys from her belt when she noticed that Max had stopped mid-stride. Seeing Dana down the tree line half a dozen paces or so in a similar posture, Chloe looked over at Max and found her teeth bared as she stared ahead. Chloe, not having paid attention, instinctively put a hand to her blade and looked ahead in shock. Stuck on the end of a pike was the bear's head, it's mouth cut open in such a way that it almost appeared to be smiling at them.

* * *

Max dropped her buck where she stood and ran over to the pike, reaching out to touch the bear's fur with shaking hands before angrily ripping it clean off the weapon. This was an example of why she avoided cities, towns, or any other kind of community that wasn't of her people – the barbarism toward a world in which they are but small mayflies in comparison shook Max to the core of her spirit and she knelt to the ground, cradling the dead animal's head as the sound of approaching footsteps from behind had the young sorceress baring her teeth as she looked over her shoulder. Seeing that it was Chloe, her hands raised as though she were surrendering, Max leaned her head on the taller woman's shoulder as she cried for the evil done to a beast already deprived of its life.

"D-Do your people hold nothing sacred, save their stone gods and idols?" Max asked in a raspy voice as Chloe brought and arm around Max's shoulder, "This…This is _vile_ , Chloe."

"Hey," Chloe said with a huff as she wheeled Max around some to where they were looking at each other face to face, " _This_ is not 'my people', okay? This is those fuckers at Arc, assholes like the magistrate, the governor's family, and the guardsmen. The ordinary people of the village wouldn't do something like this, Max. They wouldn't even know how, so don't you hella pin this on every gods-damned person that isn't from your tribe."

Nodding mutely, Max took Chloe's hand when the mercenary stood and was hoisted up with the bear's desecrated head still pressed against her. Her deer pelt vest soaked with a mixture of blood, dirt, and traces of viscera, Max stripped the vest off and changed into a plain green tunic she had been carrying in her satchel. Now dragging her kill with one hand as she held onto the bear's head with the other, Max nodded in thanks when Chloe grabbed the buck as well and helped Max take it to Dana's where the other girls were already in the process of skinning and cleaning their own kill. Seeing a tree across from where their hunting companions stood, Max took a length of rope that Dana had set aside for them and swung it over a thick branch that was somewhat low-hanging. Bringing the rope around the dead animal's neck, having finally placed the bear head down, Max lost herself in the work of skinning and cleaning as Chloe helped her.

"The entrails wouldn't bother you, would they?" Max asked, glancing over at Chloe as the blue-haired girl nonchalantly kicked at some of the buck's organs that had fallen to the ground, "I imagine you've seen your fair share of gore, what with your line of work and all."

"Not as much as you might think, thankfully," Chloe retorted, handing a knife to Max's outstretched hand as the sorceress continued at her work, "If I used an axe or a war-hammer, maybe, but with swords I'm less slice and more…stabby, I guess."

"Stabby?" Max asked with a humored scoff as she gave Chloe a sidelong glance, "Stabby Blue-hair."

"No, please," Chloe said, snickering a bit with the corners of her mouth lifted up in a faint smile, "I think Chloe or Chlo is just fine."

"'Chlo'?"

"The Blue Jays name for me, having accidentally left the last letter in my name out in the pay ledger," Chloe said, rolling her eyes at the memory. "What about you? You have any nicknames or should I just call you pretty?"

Max snorted and she looked at Chloe again with a sly expression.

"Really? _That's_ your best?" Max asked, her voice thick with sarcasm as she stepped away from the carcass to clean herself up a bit, "I know that you might be my first kiss, but it's not like people haven't attempted to court me before, woman."

"Oh _really_?"

"What?" Max asked, catching the curious tone in her companion's query, "Being the wisewoman for your tribe is a big deal. Of course, my parents wanted offspring but I prefer the company of either women or men so it is not as though I'd deny them. I could always just lay with a man to collect his seed and be married to a woman."

"Damn, Max. You'd leave a guy just like that? Cold."

"The way things work for me. If I want a child, I'll have a child. My preference and whom I like may or may not have anything to do with it."

Finishing up her work, Max let Chloe handle the decapitation of the buck as she walked over to grab two cups of spiced hard cider. Returning to her companion with refreshment, Max smiled when Chloe looked at her with a light in her eyes that she hadn't noticed before. _Don't tell me I'm actually falling for this dork_ , Max thought as she downed her drink quickly and watched with amusement as Chloe tried to match her and coughed a bit. Patting Chloe on her back, Max laughed a little from the humor of such an intimidating figure coughing from such a relatively easy drink. Chloe did cut an impressive look to Max, the blue-haired girl's hardened leather and chainmail armor with the twin short swords at her hips making her look almost mythic to the sorceress. _She_ is _fun to be with, and it's not like she isn't attractive. She's a little reckless, but I guess that comes with her sense of humor. Wowser, I do actually like this girl. Shit._

Joining Dana and Juliet at the campfire behind their cottage, Max sliced off four thick strips of venison and stabbed them through a spit before setting the length of iron on the struts as she wrapped a thick piece of cloth around one end and slowly turned the meat over the fire. Seeing the other three girls laughing and exchanging stories of hunts and fights they'd either been in or seen, Max relished the company. Seeing how the bard had a hand on Dana's bare leg, Max swallowed hard at how casual and loving Dana and Juliet seemed to be towards one another and found herself gazing absentmindedly at Chloe. The cheer in her companion was a stark change from the fragile looking girl who'd come to her mere days ago for a healing. Touching the crystal talisman hanging around her neck, Max thought of the kiss and how warm it had been. She wanted another, but didn't know how to ask, and Max was startled to the point of jumping in her seat when she felt Chloe's mind gravitate toward the same memory and realized she was unconsciously sending Chloe her thoughts through the talisman. Watching the swordswoman approach, her blades resting against an empty ale cask she'd been using as a seat, Max felt heat on her face that didn't emanate from the fire and looked away in embarrassment only to feel a finger hook her chin and bring her back around for another kiss.

Max met Chloe's lips as her head instinctively tilted up and she felt the other girl melt into her as they tasted each other. Starting off chaste, Max brought her free hand up and pulled in Chloe by the collar of her chainmail as it intensified. Their lips folded, smashed, and brushed up against each other's, tongues sliding out for only a moment before Max pulled back with a slight pant. Leaning her forehead against Chloe's, smiling, Max looked up from under her eyelashes at the grinning bluenette.

"You're loving this, aren't you? Your ridiculous attempts at flirting and I _still_ end up kissing you. For real, I am such a fool," Max said with a chuckle as Juliet whistled while Dana simply smiled.

"Hella foolish, but I'm a fool too so I think you're good. Maybe we can be good together."

* * *

Walking back with large portions of venison, some bones, and the antlers, Max brought them inside the tower as Chloe delicately set the bear head on one of Max's worktables. When they had returned to where the bear's remains had initially been, Max had wretched at the violence unleashed upon a dead animal's body. Hacked and chopped at until it was a pile of matted fur, blood, and gore, Chloe had looked to Max for whatever needed to be done only to find Max extending her arm out toward the mess. Chloe leapt back a bit when the bear's remains seemed to catch fire on its own, but knowing better she looked to Max again to find the young sorceress's eyes glowing a light blue as magick almost seemed to leak through her irises.

"What the fuck is she going to do with you, dude?" Chloe asked the bear head, the smart-ass in her wanting to open and close its mouth like it was going to speak.

Refraining from such an activity because she knew how disrespectful Max would see it as, Chloe instead stroked the top of its head and felt a small pang of regret that something that had helped save her was now dead in part because of her. _Max thinks that people outside of her own are savage, which is hella ironic because that's how most would probably see her upon first glance. Ugh, these motherfuckers do something so pointless to a poor animal that was only being helpful._ Wondering where Max had gotten to, the tower door slightly ajar, Chloe swung it open slowly and saw Max sitting against the stone wall opposite the door. Having changed into a black fur vest, Max's hair hung over her eyes but Chloe could make out the glow emanating from them as a faint blue light was cast onto the fur Max wore. Her deer skull headdress on along with all the vestments Chloe had quickly gotten used to with her, Max was approaching where Chloe stood at the workstation when her head snapped up and she looked past Chloe and into the trees with her blazing irises.

" _Show yourself!_ " Chloe heard Max say calmly, her voice strained but somehow loud as though she had screamed at the top of her lungs. That was when Magistrate Jefferson and a phalanx of guardsmen made their presence known.

Chloe had known something was in the woods, or someone. She wasn't deaf; the fact that it was so many was what startled her. _I'm not dull-witted, and I know my senses are just as sharp as they've ever been. So_ why _didn't I detect all of these assholes? Why didn't...?_

 _Max. I can't get my mind off the damned woman,_ Chloe thought as she looked over at the resolute sorceress, her spear-pointed staff already raised overhead as though to cast some type of spell or curse, _Fuck, she's got her head on straight and I'm the one being all hella stupid. Get your shit together, Chloe!_

"Nice to see you got my present," Magistrate Jefferson said, the snide look on his face equal in revulsion to the way he sauntered toward them. He stopped what Chloe assumed the man felt was a safe distance from them as Max moved to stand alongside Chloe with her staff still raised as she mumbled something unintelligible, "You know, _witch_ , you should really mind your own affairs. No one minded when you came in and treated the broken and the sick, or when you tended to those poor, poor women. I'm assuming it comes from some previous trauma you might have endured yourself?"

Chloe looked over at Max and paled at how stone-like the young wisewoman's face was at the suggestion. _Max... What the hell happened to you...?_

"Watch what you say with greater heed, asshole," Max said in a voice cold enough to almost give Chloe pause as to where she stood, "Else you can eat shit and die like everyone else who's ever tried to do me harm."

"Max, Max, Max. You really shouldn't threaten a local enforcer of the law," Jefferson said, that snide look still on his face, "I mean, it's not like I came alone! You think these are all the men I have with me? The governor, he wanted you left alone. Even with his son screaming in his ear about how you don't respect them, Lord Governor Prescott wanted you amicable. So, in his stead, I feel that it is up to _me_ to teach you some manners."

"You want manners? How about you separate your mens' cocks from the women they beat," Max spat back, smiling at how it wiped the snide grin off of Jefferson's face as the small glow in her eyes turned into a fire-like blaze in each eye socket, "Better yet, how about we teach you what happens when you decide to beat on women, _bitch_?"

Max stood a few paces in front of Chloe, with Jefferson hiding behind the guardsmen that had accompanied him to the hilltop. Armed with swords and pikes, the guardsmen formed a semi-circle that barred both girls from traversing down the easiest route. Her vision a hazy red as the rage from Jefferson's arrogance and cruelty welled up inside, Max looked at the six guardsmen keeping her from the man whom had gone after Chloe the day before. _And that poor, kind bear,_ Max thought, her memory of coming upon the bear and befriending it as her people were able to returning to the forefront of her mind for only the briefest of moments before the first guardsmen made his move.

"Max! Snap the fuck out of it and help me!" Max heard Chloe cry out as the swordswoman deflected the downward strike meant for Max. Max, barely able to register anything outside of her own thoughts, blinked her eyes in confusion before they settled on Jefferson's smiling visage and she began to fight alongside Chloe with her spear.

Chloe was in her element, and she was loving every second of the fight. That's what it was to her, a fight and not a battle. Battles involved grander designs that usually came with coin at the end or some kind of payment. A fight, well, to Chloe that was just good old-fashioned fun. The iron toes of her boots kicked back a low sweep of a pike and she leapt forward, rolling when she hit the ground before smacking the pommel of her sword across the guard wielding the pike. Laughing as she twirled her blades a bit, Chloe caught a blow from behind with her blades crossed overhead and she spun with a kick to another guard's midsection that folded him over momentarily. Chloe was aiming to not kill anyone today, if she could help it. _Gods know that if I do that my mother will likely suffer for it. Shit,_ this _will hella get back to her regardless of the outcome._ Watching Max twirl her spear overhead before letting go of it for a second to clasp it at the blade-free end and bring the flat of her blade against a guard's head, Chloe winced at how hard the impact had been when Max's former attacker had responded by crumpling to the ground. Looking over her shoulder with an animalistic grin, Max smiled in delight at Chloe before quickly returning her attention to a guard that had charged her madly with a battle axe.

"I-I think they brought their friends!" Max cried out, watching from over her opponent's shoulder as more guards came up the hill, "Chloe, for real, how many fucking guards does your village have?"

"How the hell should I know?" Chloe said, deflecting blows from two guards, "I haven't been here more than a few days and it's been five winters since I lived here, Max! This… We might have to go from injure to maim or cripple soon, dude! I can't keep swatting at these pricks…if they're going to keep coming back! Never mind their friends!"

Max growled when she pushed the guard attacking her back with the shaft of her spear. _Did they send the entire guard up here to_ _…_ _to do_ what _, exactly? What does Jefferson, and likely the governor, have in mind for me and Chloe? This_ _…_ _This makes no sense; it wasn't like I killed someone in cold blood for everyone to see! I've been helping people, treating the wounded and sick._ Watching as the guards were soon joined by what looked to be a few mercenaries, Max shot a glance over at Chloe and saw that in spite of her skill she was beginning to show signs of fatigue. Clasping the talisman around her neck, Max began to pray.

Chloe felt her reflexes begin to lessen as the fight wore on, her opponents dazed but still nearly as effective as when the fight had started. Fatigue had begun to set in. If Chloe were fighting them to the death it would not be an issue; on several instances, Chloe had the opportunity for a deathblow but denied herself in favor of preserving her opponents' lives. _Because that was hella smart_ , Chloe thought with a grimace as her breath caught in her throat from a sellsword's kick making contact with her chestplate. Planting her left foot down, Chloe used the momentum to spin in an arc as she threw one of her short swords. Watching it go through the mercenary's forearm, Chloe obliged the man a kick to the chest in return for the one she received while extracting her blade from his arm. Panting from the exertion, her blood pumping in spite of the weariness she felt, Chloe looked over to see Max finish whispering something as she held onto her talisman. It was then that energy flooded Chloe's system and it was as though she had yet to even draw her blades. _Did she just_ _…_ _? When this is over, I'm going to find out the_ real _purpose behind this damn trinket_ _…_ _and hella get me another kiss._

"Max, what the fuck did you just do?" Chloe yelled as she began with new life to bat away attack after attack, "Max!"

"I simply rejuvenated your life force! I can transfer some of my essence through the talisman to you if the situation requires it!" Max shot back as she began to slowly twirl her spear above her again, only this time with the crystal end having some sort of mist swirl about it as she did so, "Wait. …Are you complaining?"

"Hella no!" Chloe fired back, punching one guard in the face, his helmet having disappeared earlier in the fight as she dodged a war-hammer coming at her head, "But this does a lot more than just let me talk to you or what-fucking-ever! We're gonna have a chat when this shit is done-"

The crystal from Max's spear looked as though it were erupting with wave after wave of energy when she slammed its blade into the ground, knocking everyone who wasn't her on the ground. Wincing slightly when Chloe fell flat on her back, Max cringed at the admonished look on her companion's face before lifting her hand to the sound of someone just within the trees letting out a blood-curdling scream. Closing her hand partly, Max pulled it back and watched as the frozen right arm of Magistrate Jefferson pulled him along until he was only a few feet from the sorceress.

" _Why_ did you attack us, and why kill that poor animal? Why desecrate its body and leave its head for me to find?" Max asked, her rage growing as Jefferson's visage alone made her blood ache for blood.

"Y-You're _exquisite,_ Max," Jefferson said as he winced and let out a gasp or two from the pain of his arm being encased in ice, "Look at you, such a petite form housing an enormous power. I-I wanted to see you in action, but I also wanted to show you that this is not your savage homeland. You do not hold yourself as the law here! I am the law, decreed by the governor himself!"

"…But you came here of your own volition. What, my refusal to be his son's newest toy at court too much to bear?" Max asked, her voice taking on a timber that had Chloe backing away, " **Do you think I am one to be trifled with, when all I have done for you and yours is heal and mend? Do you know how the guards treat the women here, playthings to be broken and discarded? You see things in need of service whereas I see people in need of their spirits being made whole again!** "

Chloe watched Max close her fist a little more and the familiar sound of bones breaking from within the ice left her cringing as Jefferson screamed again in spite of the utter delight on his face. _Gods, what the fuck is wrong with this_ _…_ _this whatever he is? He's enjoying Max using her magick so much that he's letting his arm get crushed?_ Walking cautiously up to her companion, Chloe began to reach out to her companion before drawing back when she saw the look of hateful contempt on the sorceress's face as Max glared before opening her hand. Max's arm now at her side, the ice encasing Jefferson's arm flaked away like leaves in the wind only to dissipate into nothing.

"Max," Chloe said as she finally latched onto the smaller girl with a hand to Max's shoulder, "Relax. It's over. Look."

Max surveyed the hilltop, the guards and few sellswords either stumbling away or unconscious. A cold resolve built inside of her, like a ball of molten iron just cooled, and Max walked over to where Chloe had set the bear's head. Apologizing to the beast one final time, Max pulled out a knife and cut out the bear's lolling tongue as she drank down the blood inside of it. Eyes afire once more in that same brilliant azure hue, Max motioned for Chloe to get back before she looked Jefferson in the eye and smiled.

"Run," Max said calmly with a smile on her face before she fell onto all fours.

Chloe watched it happen, but couldn't quite fathom what she witnessed. It was like within a swirl of black and blue smoke Max had disappeared and a roaring bear appeared in her place, its eyes glowing blue as it growled at Jefferson and roared again. Larger than the bear that had carried them to safety, the coppery color of its fur was what tipped Chloe off.

"… _Max_?" Chloe asked, the only answer received being a huff from the bear before it started to chase off the guards, mercenaries, and Jefferson himself down away from the hilltop and down the hill. Chloe fell to the ground on her ass, wide-eyed and in disbelief from what her mind was still trying to rationalize.

Chloe figured it had been an hour before the sound of heavy paws made their way back up to the hilltop and Chloe found herself staring the blue-eyed bear in the eye before it vanished in another swirl of black and blue smoke. A tired, naked Max fell to her knees and Chloe was running to catch the fragile-looking girl. Sliding under so as to avoid Max's head from hitting the hard earth, Chloe cradled the mess of copper and freckles in her lap as Max dazedly looked up at her.

"I was a bear," Max said, a weak giggle escaping her lips before she winced from pain of over-exertion, "Are you okay?"

"Dude, I'm fine. Max, you were _a fucking bear_! Do you know how hella cool that was?!" Chloe asked before smiling down at her exhausted friend, "Damn, Max. You're hardcore. Are you okay? Did you-?"

"Kill him? Nah, I didn't kill him," Max said, reaching to Chloe's side for a flash of water. Chloe waited for Max to speak as the sorceress downed the small amount of fluid in a couple of thirsty gulps, "I should have, but I actually want to _not_ have to leave so fast. He was stupid, though. Tried to fight me. I was a fucking bear, for Goddess' sake. Also, he kinda shit his pants. Wowser, I didn't know that much crap could come out of a person in a single go."

Max looked around then, her head in Chloe's lap, then up at her companion as Chloe leaned down to kiss the freckled girl on the forehead.

"You're awesome, Max. I am _in_ awe of you."

"Chloe? Where'd the unconscious ones go? The mercenaries and the guardsmen? Also, why does a town like Arc have so many-?"

"Shh, Max," Chloe said, brushing a strand of hair out of Max's face, "Rest, and we'll talk when you wake up."

"Mm'kay," Max said, falling asleep in Chloe's lap on the hilltop where only an hour or so before she had been fury incarnate. It wasn't until Max was asleep that Chloe took an earnest look around at all the spilled blood and weapons left behind. The hilltop had become a battlefield, yet thankfully there were only broken egos and not dead soldiers.

"You should see me, Max, when I'm not holding back," Chloe whispered as she stroked the sleeping wisewoman's hair, "Maybe some day I'll save you."

The sun began to set as Chloe let Max sleep in her lap, keeping a silent watch with her sword at the ready. It was going to be a long night, and an even longer morning.

 **Author's Note -**

 **Not much to say, really. I'm exhausted, and more than a little drained.**

 **I figure I'll upload something once a week from here on out unless something pops into my head that I just _have_ to upload once it is finished. I'm juggling this story, Press Play, What If?, and other projects. Tack onto that me going back to school again and I'm just going to be too damn busy to do daily or multiple entries in a week.**

 **I know you all had gotten used to a lot of content from me - counting what I've yet to upload I'm nearing 800,000 words - so I hope you can understand that I need to take a break from the constant uploading. Writing these stories is supposed to be fun and it's been more of a strain as of late. I'm still going to write, only not as much on a daily basis.**

 **I hope you all enjoy this chapter, and I look forward to re-entering this world with the next installment.**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**


	6. On the Trail

**Chapter Six**

 **"The Trail," by Marcin Przybylowicz**

The forest proved more daunting than Max would have liked to think it would, the thickets and brush far denser than someone traveling on food needed them to be. Hearing Chloe a short distance behind her, Max rolled her eyes and unslung the pack she'd hastily put together for them from off her shoulder. This was the last thing Max had wanted, having to be on the run after what had happened on the overlook with Jefferson and his minions; the added complication of a traveling companion only made things more arduous and Max was finding herself increasingly frustrated over Chloe's stubborn unwillingness to just "hella up and leave". That was how Chloe had put it to Max, anyway, but she had still followed Max and the young sorceress was experiencing mixed feelings about that. The kisses from Chloe had been nice, but entirely unexpected and the blue-haired mercenary was not exactly what Max would call suave.

"Hurry up, Chloe!" Max shouted as she leaned against a tree and pulled a long strip of dried venison from her bag of goods and supplies. _So much of what I had at the old tower is likely gone by now, picked clean by the people living in Arc. I was able to pack some of my family's things, but the rest is…is…,_ Max thought as she wiped angrily at the tears trying to run down her face, "Goddamnit, c'mon!"

"Hey! _I_ didn't want to run, Max!" Chloe spat back as she reached the small hill Max had stopped at, breathing heavily from the non-stop movement. Chloe figured they had probably traveled nearly an entire day, having moved at night at a good walking pace thanks to the mystical illumination that had Max's staff had provided. She was tired, hungry, and angry over what had happened the day before. "Max, dude, I-"

"No. No, I'm sorry," Max said, shaking her head as she tossed the other half of the dried venison strip to Chloe before searching her bag for the flagon of water she'd collected in their hurry, "I-I didn't want to run, either, but I just saw no choice. You could have stayed, y'know. You didn't _have_ to come along."

"I… I kinda wanted to," Chloe said with a smirk as she put her hands on the small of her back and stretched with the venison strip hanging out of her mouth in a way that had Max chuckling. Chloe liked that, Max laughing. She had not seen a moment of cheer from either herself or Max since before the fight on the hilltop; seeing Max laughing, if only a little, put Chloe at ease, "D'you know when we could camp? I'm kinda fucking beat, y'know?"

"Sorry," Max said, tucking some hair behind her ear as she gauged where they were, "Well, we can't camp here. Hilltop's too obvious and the visibility would make us easy prey for anyone who might have tracked us or wild animals. There was a stream a little ways back. How about we follow it, head north and see if we find an overhand or a cave? This area has some caverns scattered about."

Chloe nodded and off they went, Max thankful as well that they were finally resting. Desperation and anger had fueled her this far, but with Chloe bringing her a bit of good cheer and mirth, Max felt exhaustion begin to kick in. Once dawn had come, Max had broken into a decently-paced run that Chloe had been able to follow for hours until the time and pace had proved to be too much for the swordswoman. The foliage that littered the ground had crunched with from echoing footfalls as they had run, that noise and their breathing all that either girl had heard as they ran. Max instinctively headed north, north where she had once called home, and had not really thought about it until she had stopped to catch up to Chloe. _I can't go home. I don't have one. I won't go to the northern kingdom, not a chance in hell. With their ambassador in Arc, word would be traveling to the city of our actions. No, best we head to a more remote area or just turn back and make a stand. Jefferson_ was _acting of his own accord. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad…_

Max and Chloe traversed the woodland, ignoring the looming redwoods and any other foliage or woodland growth that wasn't in their way; neither girl had the patience to try and admire the scenery as they found the stream and began to follow it as it widened into a creek a couple hours later. Neither girl speaking, exhaustion both physical and mental taking hold of them both, they instead focused what remaining energy they had on finding shelter for the encroaching night as the sky began to turn an amber hue overhead through what small pockets of visibility the forest canopy provided them.

"Maybe you should turn on your, uh, magic light or whatever," Chloe said from the other side of the creek as she squinted while looking ahead, "S'getting hella dark for our stroll along this creek, Max…"

" _Or_ , you could light a torch…," Max suggested as she tossed an unlit torch to Chloe before igniting her own with a bit of flint. The cloth-wrapped head of the torch already having been saturated in oil, the brightness caused Max to squint for momentarily before she looked across the stream to see Chloe having trouble with hers.

"You can't light a torch?" Max asked teasingly, an upturn on the corners of her lips as she cocked an eyebrow at the young swordswoman before laughing when she saw Chloe's dimly illuminated form flip her off, "Do you require assistance?"

"Eat shit, Max," Chloe barked as she waded through the ankle-deep water to ignite her torch by using Max's, "Don't wanna be over there by my lonesome anyway…and I'm fucking tired. There a camping location suitable to your endless list of requirements?"

"There," Max said, pointing ahead with her free hand to lead Chloe's line of sight to a rock overhang that led into a small cavern, "I have food in my pack, the stream water is fresh, and there's enough timber lying around that we could get a small fire going. No one will chase us out here."

"How do you know that? You didn't grow up in Arc like I did, Max. Some of them might be dull-minded, but they are not the kind to hella just up and forgive a grievance," Chloe said, taking Max's hand as she eagerly led the way toward their destination.

The overhang was mossy and worn from the wind and rain of many winters. Reaching the rock formation, Max and Chloe walked about quickly to gather what tinder and firewood was the closest. Worn out by their exodus from Arc, neither girl said much as Max used some flint she had packed away to start the fire. _Magick would have gotten the job done a lot faster_ , Max said as she looked at her scratched hands, _I'm just too tired. Plus, my parents always told me to not treat magick as if it were mundane. There has to be a respect, a reverence, towards it so that I do not just use my abilities for every little thing._

"So, about that bear thing…," Chloe said as she started to rummage through Max's pack only to scowl when Max batted her hands away, "Dude, I'm _hungry_."

"And _I'm_ just ensuring we have enough to last," Max said as she ripped a small loaf of hearty bread in two and tossed half at Chloe before shoving a stick through her own and toasting it over the fire for a few seconds, "We have my staff and knife, plus your swords. That's it for hunting equipment at the moment."

"That was enough for our little trek with Dana," Chloe interjected, Max nodding.

"I know. Chloe, look. I'm tired, too," Max said as she ripped a piece of her lightly-toasted bread and popped it into her mouth _,_ savoring the flavor of oats, nuts, and various grains, "…Anyway. The "bear thing" is what you were wanting to know about, yeah?"

"Hella yeah!" Chloe exclaimed, sidling up next to Max as they warmed themselves by the fire while eating away at the bread and sharing a flagon of cold water, "You fucking turned into an _animal_ , Max, and not even a regular kind of animal. You were bigger, and I'm willing to be you were stronger. What was that?"

"I'm a shapeshifter," Max said nonchalantly, smirking when Chloe's jaw dropped, "Okay, yes, big deal. Wowser, Chloe, close your mouth before bugs go after the meal you just ate."

"Bread is not a meal."

"It is tonight, unless your exhausted ass feels like hunting in the dark," Max shot back, rolling her eyes when Chloe groaned.

"…Tell me more. About the shapeshifting thing," Chloe said, tentatively lying her head on Max's lap as she laid facing up so that she could see Max looking back down at her with a cool look of appraisal, "Is…Is me lying like this not cool?"

"No. No, it's fine. Just kinda… You have your questions, and I have mine," Max said with a hint of rebuke as she thought of their kissing. _Her lips were soft, but the kiss was hard and not unpleasant in the slightest. Though she could stand to wash her mouth out with mint water, or just water._ "Shapeshifting isn't a common ability among my people, and those who are capable of it, well… It's not something one advertises."

"Why the fuck not?" Chloe asked, aghast, "It was so fucking cool, man! It reminded me of stories my father read me about magical warriors who could summon beasts or whatevs. You _became a beast_ , Max. Why-"

"Because it requires blood magic, a sacrilege to my people," Max said curtly, small hands clutching at the material of her vest, "To use the life force of another living creature, no matter how small, goes against everything I have been taught. It upsets the balance of things."

"But the bear was already dead."

"Which was why I went on ahead and did it. The poor animal was already gone, so I simply took in what remained of its essence. It's why the spell didn't last as long as it could've."

Max looked down and saw the young swordswoman's forehead crease in thought. Running a hand through Chloe's blue hair, she smiled when her companion looked up and blushed a little at the intimate gesture.

"That's nice," Chloe simply stated, frowning a little when Max immediately ceased the attentiveness, "Or, you could completely stop it and we can go back to bickering at random times."

"I choose… Bickering," Max joked before popping another morsel of bread into her mouth as Chloe sat up. Their previous position so intimate, so close, Max felt a mild pang of regret when Chloe distanced herself a bit, sliding a little ways away from her, "Chloe, you don't _have_ to up and move. I…I just don't know what it is that you want from me, alright? Camaraderie, friendship, sisterhood, what?"

"I'd have thought I was pretty fucking obvious, dude."

"You were, which is why I'm asking. Because _I'm_ not sure. I just met you, and already there's kisses and warm touches. It's-" Max stopped as the sound of a branch snapping in the distance echoed through the forest. Immediately on alert, Max snatched her spear from where she had lain it at her side and took off the skull helm she had worn the whole day. Sniffing the air, Max wrinkled her nose in concentration as she licked her fingers and thrust them into the air. Chloe watched, herself alert as she drew one of her swords and inspected the blade.

"What is it? Were we followed? Is-" Chloe asked, cut off by the gesture of Max slicing her neck with a finger, indicating silence.

"…A buck is not too far from here," Max whispered, so imperceptibly low that Chloe was surprised she could even her the small sorceress. Seeing Max's lean frame ripple as muscle began to work once more, she followed Max's lead and began to get up, "You want some deer meat with your bread and whine?"

"Was that a pun?"

"I dunno. Was it?"

* * *

The forest's interior was lit through thin shafts of moonlight breaking through the layered canopy, new and old trees covering the undergrowth in shadow barely pierced by light. Sword unsheathed, Chloe trailed along behind Max for a bit before she could no longer make out the sorceress in the darkness. Putting her hand to the charm that Max had given her, she gave it a little squeeze and heard a faint sigh not too far off. An almost-musical whisper later, and Chloe nearly cried out in alarm as the forest sudden came into vibrant life around her, light and color restored as though it were midday.

"Max? Max, what did you do to my eyes?" Chloe asked, not moving from where she stood. Hearing Max approach, _seeing_ Max approach, Chloe blinked repeatedly as though she were dreaming. _Or hallucinating. I've seen a lot of weird shit lately_ , Chloe thought to herself, _Plus I'm not drunk. Gods, I wish I were drunk._

" _Relax,_ " Max whispered, pointing with the shaft of her spear in a direction to their left," The buck is not too far, and I'd not have you blindly swinging your blade around like a dumbass-"

"Gee, thanks-"

"So I cast a small, temporary enchantment that lets you see in the night," Max continued to whisper, "I did the same to myself, and besides it is entirely harmless."

"Just… Next time you do something like this, a little warning first?"

Max nodded, then pushed on with light footsteps towards the general area of the buck, hearing Chloe follow. Wisely, the mercenary had stripped down to only her leathers and had left the bulkier, noisier parts of her armor behind. Her stance predatory, Max arched her back as she lifted her spear. Altering the shape of her vocal cords with magick, Max let out the faint cry of a faun. Watching the buck's head lift up from where it had likely been eating, Max hissed a little as a sword flashed right past her face and landed with a dull thud in the tree trunk just above the deer's head.

Not pausing in her movements, despite the suddenness of Chloe's attempted strike, Max let fly her spear and watched it catch the lower abdomen of the buck as it let out a bleating cry before collapsing to the forest floor. Letting out a breathe, Max looked over her shoulder at a mildly embarrassed Chloe and said nothing but motioned for them to go and examine their crying prey. Reaching the buck, Max pulled the spear-end of her staff out of the deer and watched with a little amusement as Chloe yanked hard on her sword a couple times before getting the blade free.

"Were you even thinking about how my head was in the way of your aim?" Max asked flatly, seeing Chloe wince at the mention, "I mean, really? Why didn't you just run up to the deer and try to punch it? I'm sure that would have been more effective, ha!"

"Uh, sorry about that shock there," Chloe stammered out, ignoring Max's teasing as she genuinely felt bad about nearly decapitating her traveling companion, "Um, I don't think it's-"

" _He_. It's a buck."

"He isn't dead, Max. You want I should…?" Chloe asked, pulling a small dagger out of her boot. A single hand raised, Chloe listened as Max whispered a prayer to the dying animal and grew still at the sad tone.

" _Gentle soul, we thank you for your life. Harmless spirit, we bid you go. To our life we not tie you, entreat you, or despoil you. Safe journey."_ Max said gently before standing to spear the mortally-wounded animal right in the heart, "A quick death to send you along faster. I'm sorry for your moment of suffering."

Wordlessly walking back to their camp, carrying the buck together by tying its legs to Max's staff, Chloe helped Max skin and prepare the animal. Taking what meat they could immediately cook, Chloe helped Max bury what they had not the time to salvage and kept her mouth respectfully shut when she saw tears in the sorceress's eyes. _It's like with the bear. Must be a custom of her people, to try and use up everything of an animal. Even_ I _feel bad about this now. Is that the charm, or is that actually me feeling bad, though?_

Still silent, Max carried on with making sure the meat was fully cooked as Chloe just watched her. No dirt in the brunette's face, no skull helm on; just in her leathers, Max seemed almost ethereal in how she lightly moved from place to place, preparing the meat and seasoning it with what she had in her pack. The smell of fresh peppercorns and salt ground and sprinkled together over the roasting deer wafted into Chloe's nostrils and she found herself salivating as Max handed her a haunch of meat that was speared through with one of the sticks they had stripped clean of bark in preparation. Watching Max take a seat beside her with a smaller piece of meat, Chloe half-expected a blessing of some kind; instead, Max took a mouthful of the roasted deer with a vicious bite.

 _"_ What?" Max asked, seeing Chloe gawk at her.

"Nothing!" Chloe blurted out before sighing and wafting the stick of meat around airily, "What'll we do tomorrow? Keep running? Stay here for a bit?"

"Dunno," Max said before swallowing another morsel. Play-fighting, Max tapped her stick against Chloe's and snorted, "Do you _want_ to go back to Arc?"

"…Not really. I just… I've never done anything like this, Max. When I ran away from home years ago, I didn't have a threat of death hanging over me-"

"Chloe, we didn't _kill_ anybody-"

"You don't know how the world works, dude! We could've just slapped Jefferson in the face and he'd try to see us hang! You come here from such a different place, Max. Such a different world. You live in mine now, and it's a lot colder and a lot more volatile."

Tossing the remains of her roasted deer into the fire, Max shifted in her spot so that she was facing the blue-haired mercenary. She did not want to fight, not again. Max knew Chloe meant well, but being patronized infuriated her a little. She was not a simpleton to be explained things like as to a child; a grown woman in her own people's light, and a skilled wielded of magick, Max had been accustomed to receiving respect.

"What the fuck would you have me do, then?" Max said, barely keeping her anger in check, "What would you have me do? Chloe, I'm not some simple-minded primitive. You may know your world, but I've lived in it too for some time now. You think I wanted all this to happen? …I don't want to fight you, Chloe. I'm so tired of arguing…"

"…Ugh, I am too. I'm…I'm sorry, Max. I hella didn't mean for it to come out the way it did. I'm, um, not that good with how the brain turns thought into words, if y'know what I mean."

"I get that. But you still need to understand that I don't need coddling."

"Gotcha," Chloe said before slicing off a strip of her meat with a dagger. Handing it to Max, Chloe smiled encouragingly, "Peace?"

"…Peace, you butt," Max teased, grinning as she nimbly snatched the meat off of the dagger's edge and popped it into her mouth, "I figure we travel north for a little bit, put some distance between ourselves and Arc. Anywhere in mind?"

"I've never been to the Northern Kingdom…," Chloe said, chuckling at Max's perturbed expression, "What?"

"The 'City by the Sea', as they call it," Max said with a contemptuous grumble, "Surrounded by squalor. The slums are a haven of misfortune and trouble. _If_ I agree to this, there could be trouble. When my people… When my uncle assumed authority over them, they essentially became a vassal group to the kingdom. I may not be entirely welcome if I'm noticed by one of them."

"So what? Are there hundreds upon hundreds of your people in the city or something?" Chloe asked, moving over to Max so that she could place both hands on the other girl's shoulders, "Dude, you're hella strong and you _help_ people in need. If they're asswipes about it, who gives a fuck?"

"I-I was just saying…," Max replied with a little hesitation, "Sorry. I stutter sometimes when I get nervous. The city…so many people…it actually makes me _hella_ nervous."

"I'm a bad-good influence on you, saying my shit," Chloe said with a wink before she noticed how warm her face was. Warm from the heat of the fire, warm from Max's breath. Breathe emanating from parted lips…

Chloe leaned in and gave Max a single, gentle kiss. Not knowing what else to do, she moved back a little only to feel Max grip her forearm. Feeling herself pulled back in, Chloe knelt in front of the seated brunette and kissed Max again, longer and with more reciprocation. With one hand on her forearm and another running fingers through her hair, Chloe gasped for breath a little and leaned her forehead against the sorceress's. This familiarity was what Chloe wanted, the closeness, and the fact that Max wanted _seemed_ to want it too made her a little conflicted about how pleased she felt at the moment.

"Is… Was that okay?" Chloe asked, "I mean, of course it would be. Who wouldn't want to kiss me. I'm hella kissable."

"You _are_ hella kissable, and yes it was okay," Max said, caressing Chloe's cheek, "It's just the newness of it, the unexpectedness of us being this way. I'm glad you did return to Arc, Chloe."

"Me too. If only for this," Chloe replied, squeezing the hand that had previously been gripping her forearm, "Call it a night?"

"Sure. I have a blanket big enough for both of us, and some furs. No need for sleeping on the ground."

* * *

The next few days were spent traveling, moving from camping site to camping site as Max and Chloe slowly made their way to the Northern Kingdom. Fireside chats of small things, simple discourse, made for lighter fare with fresh kill roasting on the fire along with what Max had left of their provisions. During both day and night they would run, always to the point of exhaustion. It was not until the fourth day that Chloe brought up something that had not already been thoroughly discussed.

"Max. This talisman you gave me… What exactly does it _do_? I mean, I know that it connects us in a way, but I'm hella curious," Chloe asked as she tore into the skewered rabbit. Max had built a makeshift bow over the short course of their traveling thus far and Chloe was a good shot, "Like, does it…uhm, does it make me _feel_ any different than I otherwise would?"

"Uh, no. It's not like that," Max replied between mouthfuls of bread and meat, "It conveys messages, or rather the need of the wearer. It allows either of us to call upon the other wearer, and it enables me to provide you with protections and some minor enchantments."

"Like up on the hilltop. Man, I felt like I could fight for-fucking-ever back there, with Jeffershit and his goon squad," Chloe said with a barking laugh as she tossed the bare skewer near the fire. Leaning back on her shoulders, Chloe chilled as she looked over at Max, "You've got some mad powers, Sorceress. Never mind the shape-changing whazzit."

 _"_ Shape-changing whazzit?" Max asked, eyebrow quirked in amusement, "Yes, because it's "just a bit of black magick here, smidge of blood magic there…' You're a goon."

 _"_ You know what I mean. You're…You're awesome, Max, and your skills are on-point."

"Not too bad yourself, sellsword. You were like a tornado, howling through the guards with blades spinning like a whirlwind. Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Eh, a little bit here and a little bit there. Mostly just experience in learning to _not die_. I've nearly died so many times it's ridiculous. There's always been someone to hella pull my ass out of the fire – first it was Rachel, and now it's you."

"Mmm," Max intoned, pensive, "…Any other questions?"

"Well, and this is probably stupid so if it is don't pay it any mind, but…does the talisman make me feel things you feel?"

"What do you mean?" Max asked, leaning forward, her scrutinizing expression one of curiosity.

"Does it make me feel the way you do about things? Like, with the killing of all these animals… I feel _bad_ , Max, like guilty."

"Well, that's normal-"

"Not for me, dude!" Chloe exclaimed, leaping up to her feet as she began to pace, "They're _food_. I didn't used to feel bad about that sort of shit before. Is it you? Are you passing your feelings onto me? Are you?"

"Chloe…," Max said before outright laughing, "Oh, Chloe. The talisman doesn't work like that. I can communicate with you through it, in a fashion, but I can't actually press my will onto you or anything like that. You're not a thrall. You're _you_. And if you're feeling bad, well, maybe I'm just…just rubbing off on you. Did that not even occur to you?"

"Well, yeah, but-"

 _"_ No 'but', Chloe. We've spent enough time together that you would think we hella might start to adopt some of each other's…quirks. Wowser."

"…Oh. Well, I don't get all fucking weepy. I don't. Ever. So, this whole cryin' over dead animals is done for me."

"Okay," Max said matter-of-factly, shrugging, "It doesn't make a difference to me either way."

"Okay then," Chloe said, sitting back down, "So, uh, do we crash here for the night?"

"No. Food to strengthen us and a break to regain our stamina. Then, we go back to it."

Chloe groaned at the prospect of more running. She was tired of running, walking, and hiking through the various forests they had traversed through. She wanted to stop, wanted time to think and strategize. Mostly, she wanted to kiss Max again and throw down with anybody following them. _This is so fucking lame. I feel so fucking lame. Here we are, two badass women, and we're running for our lives…maybe… It's the 'maybe' that hella gets me. We don't even know if we're being followed._ Rolling over where she sat, Chloe blew a loose strand of hair out of her face and scratched at her side in frustration.

"Max, I haven't bathed in days. We've been running and walking almost non-stop for _days_. I want to actually chill for once, not sleep for an hour and then go at it all over again. I'm sick of being in the middle of nowhere, sick of fleeing. I want to wash up, strap back in, and fight. Running breeds nothing but _more_ running," Chloe said, her frustration boiling out of her. She didn't mean for it to sound like an attack, but the sellsword was tired to the point of exhaustion.

"…I get that. I… _You_ tell me what to do for a change," Max said, tossing her bare skewer into the fire."

"Wait, what?"

"You're in charge. Tell me what to do and I'll do it. I'll support you, just as you've supported my decision for the past few days," Max said, laying her staff on her lap.

"Okay. So, I was thinking…"

Max sat on a thick branch of a nearby tree, her eyes enchanted as they had been every night when she and Chloe had been running. _Fleeing,_ Max thought with a pang of disgust, _Fleeing from a group of armed farmers who have grown too big and complacent in their trousers._ Tightening the grip on her staff, Max felt her knuckles slightly pop as a cool breeze broke through the canopy of the tree tops. In the distance, Max could make out torches alight as they made their way through the woods. _In our general direction, I think. So we_ were _being followed_. Max shot a glance over at the tree Chloe was hiding in, also having climbed up to a higher safe point, and whistled low to get the swordswoman's attention.

Chloe braced herself with one arm as she stood on top of her branch, a dagger held between her teeth as she lazily swung a bolo fashioned from a strip of leather and two rocks she had gathered at a nearby creek. After having washed up to her satisfaction, not to mention enjoying seeing Max in the nude, Chloe had decided they were done running. If someone were after them, they would stand and fight. If not, their pace would be a little more leisurely from now on. _Looks like it's gonna be a fight, after all,_ Chloe said as she spotted the torches and their bearers in the distance. While Chloe could not make out _who_ they were, she did know _what_ they were. _Guards. A half-dozen or so. A search party, maybe, on the lookout for us. Jeffershit really knows how to push his own fucking agenda._ No doubt was in Chloe's mind that the magistrate had told some fabrication of events to Lord Prescott about the events on the temple hilltop, some fable to win over the local ruler's support.

Increasing the speed of her bolo, Chloe took aim at one of the rear guard and let the makeshift weapon fly, watching it propel forward before coming around the guard's head and knocking him to the ground as the other guardsmen began to flounder about their wounded comrade. Hearing them scurry about, their torches ablaze as they pressed their backs together, Chloe signaled Max with a blue jay call and watched a shadow fall from the tree the sorceress occupied before she descended herself. _Gotta learn how to be so damn graceful. She makes it as though she's just stepping onto the ground from a stone's height._ Together, their weapons at the ready, Chloe and Max began to stalk towards the guards…

 **Author's Note -**

 **This'll be short as I have a migraine while I type this.**

 **Glad to be continuing this story again, and I hope you are too.**

 **I'll be switching between this story and Fatal Instant every week, so in two weeks expect to find out what Chloe and Max did with the guards! :)**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**


	7. Trials, Tribulations, and Tomfoolery

**"Unleashed" by Epica**

Chloe prowled through the forest with Max right behind her, their weapons at the ready as they slowly made their way toward the cluster of guards. Having dusted her blades to ensure no torchlight would reflect off the short swords, Chloe noticed that Max kept the blade of her staff low to the ground. _Good thinking_ , Chloe thought before Max put a hand on her shoulder. Looking over at her companion, Chloe followed Max's line of sight to see a group of people not far from the guards. Her apprehension heightened, Chloe took a knee as Max followed suit.

"Prisoners?" Chloe whispered, her tone worrisome.

"I'm not sure. The enchantment lets me see at night, but I can't see that far ahead," Max answered, still looking toward the torches, "I…I don't think they are. If they were, wouldn't they be _with_ the guards?"

"Not necessarily. They're not using those people as shields from our weapons, either. Hmm, this is hella curious. Volunteers?"

"Won't know until we get closer, I guess."

"Any closer and we'll have to fight. You ready?"

"Yes. You?" Max asked.

Chloe cracked a grin and winked at Max.

"Always."

Getting back to their feet, Chloe and Max lifted dirt of the ground as they made a dead run for the guards, their footfalls the only sound emanating from the duo as the distance between them and the guards diminished rapidly. Swords ready, Chloe was about to burst through the dense foliage blocking them from the guards' sight when she caught a better look at the people with them and stopped dead in her tracks, Max nearly tripping over her in the process.

"…Mom?" Chloe asked loudly, the guards hurrying to defensive postures as the people behind the guards moved into the light of the torches.

Max smiled warmly as Joyce came running from behind the guards to greet them, hugging both girls as she openly wept. Max felt a dampness on her shoulder and tightened her embrace of the older Price, looking over at Chloe to see confusion on the swordswoman's face. This was definitely unexpected, but not unappreciated.

"Oh, girls! We thought we would never find you!" Joyce said as her crying subsided, "It's alright! They're here!"

Chloe sheathed her sword after she watched the guards doing the same, noticing that David was leading them. Curious as to their predicament, she shrugged at Max and the sorceress did the same. _What the fuck is going on_?

"Lord Prescott sends his regards, though I sure as shit am glad to see you two uninjured," David said, taking his helm off to playfully ruffle Chloe's hair, "We thought we might never cover the ground you two had made. Damn, but you two make tracks like hellions!"

"We're happy to see friendly faces," Max started, planting her staff in the ground as she put her hands on her hips, "But what the hell is this?"

"As soon as Magistrate Jefferson returned from your…well, your fight at the temple, he made this grandiose fuss about how he had merely wanted to discourse with you over the events at the Two Whales. I've never trusted that guy, and when I asked my men who had been there what happened I got the truth of it and reported such to Lord Prescott," David explained, sitting on his helm as he took a mouthful of water from his waterskin, "It's like this, basically: You can come back to Arc and nothing will happen. Jefferson, _still_ magistrate for some damn reason, is forbidden from doing either of you any harm. The lord also wished to convey his apologies over this 'minor debacle'."

" _Minor_?" Chloe spat, before actually spitting on the ground, "That fucker wanted to kill us!"

"And we _made a point_ to not kill anyone!" Max continued, Chloe nodding fervently as Max said her piece, "How… _How_ can he still have _any_ authority? The guy is utter shit!"

"Agreed. Arguments from the citizenry were for Jefferson's head to be put on a pike after what he did. The villagers nearly rioted over it. You've been so good to us, Max, and the ambassador to the Northern Kingdom pleaded your case."

That got Max's attention as she narrowed her eyes at the thought of Victoria pleading for her well-being.

"I don't believe that," Max said, pacing a little while the other villagers and guards came to stand closer, "I…I thought she hated me."

"…'Hate' is a strong term. I don't think she likes you, necessarily," David reported, scratching his head as he formulated the words, "But she _does_ respect you. All the women you've looked after…all the people you've helped while staying in Arc…it made your case for her. And for Lord Prescott. So now you can both-"

"We're not going back to Arc anytime soon," Chloe said, cutting David off as she swallowed the bile rising up within her, "I, uh, we both appreciate your concern, and we're glad to see you're alright – we've made plans already."

"Oh, Chloe," Joyce said, having detached herself from the two girls to put a hand on her daughter's shoulder, "Come home. You were away for so long, and to have you back for such a short time is like a cheat."

"I get that," Chloe remarked, looking over at Max, "But where she goes, I go. And _we_ want to do some…traveling."

"Traveling? To where?" Joyce asked, now standing beside her husband.

"Well, first we want to go to the Northern Kingdom, and then…wherever," Chloe said, Max nodding in agreement, "Mom, all I've ever done is fight. Fight in Arc when I was young, then fight as a mercenary. I want…I want to live freely, go where the roads take me. And Max wants to come with. Who am I to turn down such an adventure?"

David and Joyce looked at one another, the guardsman placing a consoling arm around his wife as Joyce sniffled a little. Chloe stood awkwardly, holding one arm, not used to seeing such a kinder side of David. Walking up to them hesitantly, she put her arms around them both and clasped their shoulders tightly.

"It's not like we'll be gone forever, y'know? I'll come back to Arc…back home…sometime. But for now I want to travel as an adventurer with Max and see places I've never been to. I hella need this, Mom. Please understand."

"I do. I get it. Far be it from me to try and stop you-" Joyce said.

"As if you could stop me," Chloe said, grinning, as she cut her mother off before looking over at Max, "You want to stay here for the night, camp with them before we go our separate ways?"

"I think we should," Max said affirmatively, already laying out their bedroll and furs, "We should just make camp here. With nobody pursuing us anymore, there's no reason for subterfuge."

* * *

The night seemed long to Chloe as all the people gathered before the large fire, roasting game and wild vegetables. The guards, visibly relaxed at not having to defend themselves from the 'wild-women', tended to their wounded comrade and sang drinking songs as the other villagers joined in. Chloe herself gave voice to the song, her singing abilities surprising Max as the brunette just sat and watched it all. A pang of sadness filled the young sorceresses heart as she thought of home and all she had lost. _This familiarity, the friendship and community. I missed things like this. Wowser, has it been that long since I sat before a fire with such a number of friendly folk and simply be at peace? At Arc, people only ever came to me for help or assistance. Even Joyce, kind as she is, approached me with some caution when in need._ Leaning her head against Chloe's shoulder, the two girls intertwined their hands and proceeded to dance around the fire as the singing grew louder and more boisterous.

After Joyce's tearful goodbye and David's best wishes, with both calling out to "See us soon" Max and Chloe made off for the edge of the forest where the main road led toward the Northern Kingdom. A lot more cheerful than they had been for days, Max pulled out a flute and began to play music as Chloe danced around her while they made their journey northward. Free from immediate danger, the duo would engage in discussion and debate over petty things to keep themselves occupied while on the road ahead. When they were tired, the rested, when hungry they hunted, and when night came upon them it was a toss-up between continuing on and sleeping. It was an easy life, a comfortable life. Some random passersby would greet them on the road while others would ignore them completely, too preoccupied with their own ambitions and interests. This continued on for days before they reached the local village of Dunvale. A small fishing village along the coast, Dunvale served primarily as a port for the seafarers and a trading village for those traveling on foot. Nestled between the forest and hills, it was to Chloe like a smaller, more cramped version of Arc.

"Bored," Chloe said, hands behind her head as she and Max wandered the streets, "Bored, Max."

"When _aren't_ you bored?" Max replied with a dry chuckle, "We've barely set foot into the village and already you cry boredom. What do you want?"

"An ale, for starters," Chloe declared, raising up a single finger in her gloved hand, before raising another, "And a bed. Real bed. No more bedrolls for tonight."

"Do you have any coin?"

"Do you?" Chloe asked, slyly looking over at her companion with a sideways glance.

"…Maybe…"

"Oh shit, for reals? Dude, we _have_ to find a tavern!" Chloe exclaimed, all smiles, as she took Max's hand and went searching for a tavern or inn with a ravenousness, "I need to get a drink, and so do you! C'mon, slowpoke!"

"C-Chloe, slow down! Your legs are longer than mine, and you're practically running!" Max bemoaned, though it was in jest. She had enjoyed the past days, just her and Chloe. They had grown more accustomed to one another, more comfortable. Now that they were on the path together, the awkwardness had become noticeably minimal, "Wait! There's an inn! It's down the street!"

Seeing where Max was pointing, Chloe made a 90-degree turn and led the two of them off toward the tavern. The sign above the door was of a maiden strumming a harp with the words "The Demure Lady" painted underneath. Entering the tavern, eyebrows wagging, Chloe sauntered in with Max right behind her. It smelled in the tavern of fish soup and stale beer, and there was a raucous noise coming from a table of crewmen from one of the few sailing vessels in port. Walking up to the bar, a mustachioed fellow wearing an apron over his clothes greeted them with a non-committal smile. Chloe felt at home.

"Two ales, some bread, and meat if you have it," Chloe asked cheerily, slamming the flat of her hand down on the bar.

"Got coin for that order?" The bartender asked, one hand on his hips as he gestured for some money with the other, "Not a shelter, y'know."

"What's the common coin here?" Max asked, setting her skull helm on the bar, "Northern Imperial? Local coin?"

"Well, miss, Northern Imperial is the common here, but we take all manner of money. There's a conversion fee, y'see, as all the foreign bits go to the trading bank up north. Lotta money to be made there, aye."

"Do you have any Imperial?" Chloe asked Max, pulling out her purse to display the coin she had on hand, "I have Angel Port coin, a few Imperial, and some Arc bits."

"We take Angel Port, m'dear," the bartender noted, having Chloe lay out her coins on the bar, "Lessee…hmm, reckon half of what you've got for what you order."

" _Half_?" Chloe grumbled, hands on her money, "Reckon a _third_ for the provisions and the rest of the half for a room to spare?"

"Chloe, don't haggle," Max warned, elbowing Chloe in the ribs.

"Hmm… I'll take that and accept it gladly," the bartender said with gusto, spitting in his hand and offering it to Chloe. Spitting into her own, Chloe and the bartender shook hands and the deal was struck.

Taking a seat at a small, unoccupied table, Chloe and Max took their seats and waited for the food and drink to arrive. A comely lass approached with their ales and returned almost immediately with bread, butter, and a haunch of roasted venison. With Max slicing the meat clean in two while Chloe dunked a bit of the bread into her ale, they then toasted one another and drank…only to have Max nearly gag.

"Yuck," Max murmured, looking at the contents of her mug, "How can you drink this?"

"Don't be such a chickenshit, Max. Relax, live it up! We're on the road, two stalwart travelers, adventuring! Take it in, savor everything!" Chloe said, smiling with the foam of her ale giving her a mustache that left Max giggling.

"I'm not a chickenshit," Max said, pointing a finger right at Chloe before she downed the mug's contents in a choking gulp. Slamming the mug down, Max let out a belch before that had Chloe laughing as the sorceress returned to her venison and buttered bread, "At least the food's good. A little plain, but good."

"…Not too shabby for a first date, eh?" Chloe said, winking at the brunette, both of them chuckling as Max toasted Chloe with her empty mug.

"Could be worse! We could still be thinking we were on the run!" Max exclaimed, a lightness in her heart that was mirrored in her voice, "But no. Um, this is…nice."

"Nice? Nice is for lame-ass people, Max. Dude, we're adventuring and we're together! This is balls-to-the-wall amazeballs!" Chloe said happily, putting her hand on Max's, "No one I'd rather travel with. For serious."

"Really?"

"I…I can't explain it, man, or I would… It's like I've always known you. We…we mesh, and being on the road together has been a lotta fun," Chloe said, signaling the barmaid for more ale, "I… I want to get to know you more, learn your likes and dislikes. All that mushy bullshit."

"Gee, what a romantic," Max added, sipping the brew that was placed in front of her before cringing. Looking up at the waitress, she smiled, "If you have any, might I have a mulled wine? There's some coin in it for you if you have it."

"Pussy," Chloe teased, taking Max's tankard for herself as she ate a bit of the venison before ripping a chunk off of the bread loaf on their platter, "So, what's next? We go straight to the Northern Kingdom?"

"I'd actually like to look at the village's board and see if there's work for a sorceress or wise-woman. We could use some coin if we're really to make it to the Northern Kingdom."

"What, we can't just 'live off the land' the entire trip?"

"It's not about that. It's about having the coin to manage to survive in the Northern Kingdom. I've been there, Chloe. It's not Arc, where someone is there to take you in. You're alone, in a sea of people, with nothing but water on one side and unfriendly faces on the other. It can be brutal to not have coin to spare. Best we be prepared, you know?"

"Ehhh…"

"Chloe, I'm serious. We _need_ the coin."

"Ehhhhhhh…"

" _Chloe…_ "

"Aw, I'm just shittin' ya," Chloe said, grinning, "Of course we're gonna need some mad coin to get around. Don't feel like living in squalor once we reach the actual city. Just kinda lame to think we'll be doing odd jobs along the way. Like, I felt like we were on a vacation or whatever. Sucks a little of the joy out of it."

Max nodded and thanked the barmaid when she returned with a mulled wine. Sipping on the concoction, Max smiled in appreciation before resuming the repast she and Chloe had. By the time the platter was bare, both girls were a little drunk but satisfied overall by the quality of the meal for such a decent price. Sitting at the table, swirling the dregs of her wine around in the cup she had been given, Max pondered a bit over the circumstances that had brought her here. Life in Arc had been comfortable, but a little stagnant as well. She too had been looking for something more from her life. _I'm strong, magickally inclined, and a good hunter and tracker. I need more from life than poultices and going door-to-door with my abilities in need. It was an easy life, but whoever said easy was necessarily fun? Wowser, I'm beginning to sound like Chloe…_ Getting up from her seat, Max walked over to the bar and smiled a little drunkenly at the bartender, the man replying with his usual non-committal smile.

"Any work to be done in the village that might require a wise-woman or two people with deft skills?" Max inquired, taking the shot of whiskey offered as she enjoyed the burning sensation in her gut when the liquor hit. It was when the bartender leaned a little closer that she knew something was up.

"Well," the bartender started in a hushed voice, "We've no notice board or any such thing but there is always work to be done. Y'see, there's a brigand…"

"Uh-oh," Max blurted out in a exhalation of breath.

"Now now, 'tis no need to fret overmuch. He came in with a ship a fortnight ago and hasn't left the village. Goes carousing from house to house as though he owned the place. Needs just a good knock on the head for him to get the sense he isn't welcome here."

"A 'knock on the head'?" Max asked, intrigued and a little repulsed, "You want us to smack him around?"

"There's coin to it, aye; the whole village collected. The port guards won't touch him 'cause of some bribery on the fool's part, but they too won't look if he were to drunkenly shamble his ass out of town. 50 Imperials to clean up our streets. You interested?"

"…Yeah. Yeah, I suppose we are," Max said, leaning against the bar as she put a hand to her forehead, "Don't suppose you know where he is?"

"Ask the barmaid. Collect here when he's cleared out of the village," the bartender said before resuming his cleaning of the mugs, back to the sorceress.

Chloe noticed the mildly disappointed look on Max's face as the sorceress plopped down on her seat to finish the last of her wine. Watching Max run her finger around the cup's edge, Chloe surmised that the lithe beauty had found them some means of gaining coin. Finishing her fourth tankard of ale, Chloe leaned in conspiratorially and poked the other girl with a jabbing finger.

"What?" Max asked, eyes still in the empty wine cup.

"Work?"

"…Yeah. Yeah, there's work," Max answered, signaling for the barmaid, "We've a 'brigand' to knock some sense into."

* * *

The village was dark as pitch as the two young women stalked through the alleyways towards the barmaids room. Set on the second floor of a two-story house, with access via a set of stairs outside, the "brigand" was currently using it as his 'base of operations'. With the house down by the port, the dim light of torches from the port guards left Max feeling a little disgusted with herself over their job. Chloe, of course, had been ecstatic about getting to 'bust a head' after days and days of hunting game and walking. _Of course she's happy. She was a mercenary and is a born fighter. I_ can _fight – I just don't like doing it as a first course of action. Swear to the Goddess, 50 Imperials is no joke but this is ridiculous._ Managing to find the house after skulking around for a bit, Max put a finger to her lips to silence the overly eager swordswoman as they took the stairs as quietly as possible.

"Don't shush _me_ , Max Almighty," Chloe teased, pushing Max forward a little so that she sprawled onto the steps, "Oops, sorry. Too much force in that one."

"You ass," Max grumbled, shoving Chloe back when the girl tried to help her up, "Get offa me. You're drunk."

"And you're hella pretty."

"Can we just do this job and go to bed?" Max asked in a biting whisper, "I'm _tired_ , Chloe. Max wants a bed and a nice addition to our coin purse."

 _"Oh-ho_ , so Max hella speaks of herself in the third person? Such high regard, you. A-And I'm only a little drunk," Chloe said as she unsheathed her sword when they reached the door.

Waiting for Chloe to count down from three, Max and Chloe together kicked the door open and immediately regretted it. Tall and covered in numerous tattoos, the brigand was without his trousers or any underclothes as he was drunkenly fucking one of the village's women. Sneaking a peek between her fingers as she had instantly covered her eyes, Max could see that while the woman was enjoying the sex, she was clearly not enjoying with whom she was having it with.

"There a draft?" The Brigand asked his poor sex partner as she wrestled free and huddled in a corner, "Aww, girlie, don't be _shy_. I've more than enough cock for ya…"

Following the woman's gaze, the drunken fool turned around to take note of two armed women standing in the doorway, faces red from catching him in the act. Sauntering over to them, hands on his hips with a coif of hair hanging down the middle of his face, he smiled at them with blackened teeth.

"Wos this?" He asked, grinning stupidly and Max covered her nose at the stench of sex, ale, and flatulence, "Did the village send me _more_ beauties?"

"Hit 'im," Chloe whispered to Max as the brigand just stood there grinning like there was not one care in the world, "Do a spell or something."

" _Me_? You're the swordswoman, the mercenary. _You_ hit him. He's… Yuck. Just yuck," Max replied, disgust and repulsion in her voice.

"So, which one'll it be first, aye? The one flashing blades, or the wild lookin' un?" The brigand asked, leering, as he moved to cup their faces with his hands, "Relax, ladies. There's more than enough cock to go around. I've a-plenty."

"Oh, fuck _you_ , asshole," Max said, completely disgusted, as she thumped him on the head with the flat of her staff's blade hard enough that she knocked him out cold. Looking over to the woman, Max helped her up and gave her an unspoiled bedsheet to cover herself with, "…Do you happen to know if there's any make up or whatever in here?"

"O'er there, by the vanity," the townswoman replied, pointing to a dull mirror sat atop a worn desk before she fled out the door with a handful of her clothes.

"Makeup?" Chloe asked, nudging the unconscious fool with the toe of her boot, "What do you have in mind, Max?"

"Max's Revenge," Max teased in a hissing voice, "Take his clothes and throw them into the fireplace. He won't be needing them anymore."

When the brigand awoke the next morning, his muddled eyes took in the entirety of the village looking at him. Confused, he tried to move but realized that he had been tied to a stake on the edge of town. Worse, he was dressed in a woman's set of clothes and had the feeling of something having been painted on his face.

"You cocksuckers! You done me up like a lady!" The brigand shouted, tears starting to stream down his eyes in embarrassment and fury as he thrashed about until the port guards lowered their pikes at him, "This ain't fair. It ain't! I done no harm-"

"No," the bartender said, arms crossed over his chest as he summarily kicked the fool in his balls, "Ye just kicked people out of their houses, drank and ate your fill, fucked men's wives, and made a great nuisance of yerself. Well, we're fucking _tired_ of yer shite. Reckon we could kill ye right now and make a grand mess o' things, but I'd rather you just run off dressed like the whore you are and never step foot in our village again. How's that?"

"What'll they do with him, do you think?" Chloe asked Max, having already crested the northern hill overlooking the village, "Man, seeing the look on your face when you just _thumped_ him with your staff. Max, that was hilarious!"

"Meh, they'll probably cut him loose and leave him to run off crying and cursing like a bitch," Max surmised, tossing the coin purse of 50 Imperials in the air before catching it just as quick, " _That_ was a gross job. I hope they're not all like that."

"Dude, I hope _every_ job is as amazeballs as that. Next time, though, you really ought to cast a spell on him to make him think he _is_ a woman!"

"…Goddess be merciful, why the fuck didn't I think of that?" Max asked aloud, bafflement on her face, "I should've done that!"

"You totally should have done that. Can you imagine the dude, wandering around and flashing his ass or working as a barmaid or whatever? Taste of his own damn medicine."

"You're merciless."

"Says the sorceress who wishes she'd done it."

"Fair enough," Max said as they left the village behind and resumed their travels on the road.

 **Author's Note -**

 **Gotcha! Bet you thought it was going to be a throwdown at the beginning, right? I _did_ think of having Jefferson show up, but I've decided to push that back for now. Believe me, however, when I say that our pair of adventurers are not through with Arc just yet...nor is Arc through with them.**

 **Enjoy the adventures to come! :)**

 **Stay hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**


	8. A Curious Curse

"Bandits on the highway! Who would've guessed it?" Chloe remarked as she drew her blades and ran their edges together, licking her lips, "I've been hella itchy for a good fight!"

"We should've taken the woodland path," Max said as they made their way toward the brigands, having already caught their attention minutes ago with their approach, "I don't suppose a dive into the woods might avert this unnecessary battle?"

"Max, look at 'em. One has a pitchfork, one has a butcher's cleaver, and the other two just have their fists. It'll be easy pickings, which is a little unsatisfying, but I'll take what I can get."

Charging forward with Max running to catch up, Chloe watched her blades catch fire and promised to thank Max for the effect before giggling with glee when she realized they really were on fire! Swinging and spinning her flaming blades, Chloe came at the one with the cleaver first, a sturdy-looking fellow who managed to avoid her pressing further until she kicked him in the groin and smacked him in the head with her blade's flat side. Watching him pat his head to try and put out the flame, Chloe turned her attention to 'Mr. Pitchfork' only to grin again when she watched Max ably dodge his awkward swing of the farm tool and strike it out of his hand with a hard blow to the implement's wooden shaft. Watching the pitchfork spin off into the nearby grass, Chloe looked over her shoulder at the other two bandits and smiled.

"Wanna try?" Chloe asked, her blades flashing as she began to make her way towards them, "Normally, I don't fight unarmed people, but bandits aren't entirely people. You prey on the weak and the unarmed yourselves, right? Only fair I get to do to you what you've done to others…"

Chloe was about to strike when both unarmed bandits found themselves slowly encased in ice. Watching their eyes bulge in the direction behind her, Chloe huffed and turned around to see Max wielding her staff with an icy core forming above its jeweled end. Her blades extinguishing from the cold wind, Chloe shivered a bit as Max approached the bandits.

" _ **You will leave this area, and you will**_ **not** _ **return**_ ," Max intoned, her voice full of power as the magic resonated through her, " _ **Blink your eyes if you understand**_."

The bandits blinked, and all four ran off once Max released the ice-encased ones, heading deep into the woods. Setting alight the wagon they used to block the highway, Max stood valiantly as it was quickly turned into cinders and ash.

"Dude, _that_ was cool," Chloe admitted, patting her companion on the back, "And thanks for the flaming blades, by the way. Neat trick."

"I'll have to etch some runes on them tonight when we make camp so that the enchantments don't damage your blades," Max mentioned as she poked through the ash for anything valuable. Finding an Imperial coin, Max sifted through the ash further and found another dozen to accompany the already-procured piece of silver, "Looks like we found their haul. I wonder why people turn to such a vagrant life of crime…"

"It's easy," Chloe offered, picking up the coins to add them to the two women's money purse in Max's bag, "And you saw them. They were likely farmers with nothing left to farm."

"So it was desperation, possibly to feed their families…if they had them…," Max thought aloud, the sadness in her voice giving Chloe all she needed to hold her friend and traveling companion.

"Dude, don't even think like that. You saw the coins – we're not their first attempt. Imperial coins, here, in the middle of nowhere? Naw, they've accosted others. No worries, m'kay?"

Poking amongst the ruins of the brigands' cart further for anything of value, finding nothing, the two adventurers continued on their trek towards the Northern Kingdom. It had been a week since their stop at Dunvale and both were hoping for a village to appear over the rolling hills ahead of them. _Hunting and camping is fine,_ Chloe thought as she and Max ventured on, _But I'd hella love to get a bed_ and _a bath, along with some beer._ Strolling along with her hands leisurely behind her head as Max walked alongside her, Chloe deftly lowered one hand to pinch Max's ass.

"C-Chloe…!" Max cried out in surprise, her face reddening before Chloe gave her a light kiss on the cheek, calming the sorceress somewhat, "That…That was unnecessary! Not to mention rude!"

"Aww, c'mon, it was just a bit o' fun. Or, in this case, a pinch," Chloe said, winking at Max as the sorceress tried to suppress a grin, "How's about we go on ahead and make a camp somewhere in these woods and just chill? I know it's mid-day, but we've been walking for a week and I could use some extra leisure time."

"You were a mercenary, Chloe," Max retorted, a hand on her hip as she smirked at her companion, "Didn't you march for days with your company?"

"Well yeah, but that doesn't mean I _liked_ all the damn marching."

"Fine, then. Camp it is, I guess. We'll need to prepare a-"

"Dude, we've been at this for a bit now. I think I know how it goes."

"Someone's in a prickly mood."

"Shut it."

"You're such a dork."

* * *

After a meal of venison and water, Chloe laid her head down on Max's lap and purred when the sorceress weaved her hair through strands of blue hair. Being on the road together had brought them closer, more intimate, but not enough for Chloe. She wanted to know more about Max; not Max's people per se, but the young woman herself. Looking up at the canopy of treetops dimly lit by their fire, themselves nestled on a bedroll and furs, Chloe sighed with mild contentment…and a little frustration.

"What's the matter?" Max asked soothingly as she continued to run her hands through Chloe's hair, massaging the other girl's scalp.

"I just… I wanna know more about ya, y'know? I mean, we know plenty about each other already, but I always feel there's more to discover."

"…Maybe I _like_ the mystery of you not knowing everything," Max cooed teasingly into Chloe's ear before she nibbled it, snickering when Chloe's face went red from the touch, "Just relax and enjoy us together, Chlo. I'm not going anywhere."

"Well, uh, what's the deal with your skull helm? You rarely take it off," Chloe pressured on, hoping that she might get some morsel of info from her traveling companion.

"It…It was my mother's, and her mother's before that," Max said, reaching over to grab the helm from where it lay next to her. Motioning for Chloe to sit up, Max turned the helm over in her lap so that Chloe could see the etchings and runic carvings, "It carries within it knowledge and power, as well as protection wards. It's kinda like a portable source of Magick; I have my own, of course, as does every person to some degree. I can also channel Magick from the earth and sky, from wind and fire, but this…this is older power _and_ history. With my people basically assimilating into your culture, I don't want what's left to disappear. Even if it is only me."

Max sat the deer-skull helm back down to where it had been and jabbed a finger into Chloe's shoulder.

"My turn. Tell me about yourself, something I don't already know. Your father, your birth father, was a smith, yes? Any of that skill pass down to you?"

At that, Chloe drew her blades and laid them in her and Max's laps very gently, as though the blades themselves might break.

"I made these years ago," Chloe said quietly, "To honor my father when I went in battle. See the small butterfly just above the hilt? It's his signature, my…my homage to him. So that he goes with me whenever and wherever I travel. I've had to repair them and re-forge them multiple times, blades don't typically last too long when you're a sword-for-hire, but these are crafted as best I could. I learned from watching my father day in and day out. They're like heirlooms to me, I could never wield anything else as perfectly I do these."

Max put her hand to one of the blades in her lap, taking a keener look at the quality and craftsmanship. _It's a fine weapon_ , Max remarked, looking at the small butterfly etched into the blade. Folding it over, she ran her hand over the length of the blade before giving them back to Chloe. _She's been through so much in her life, like me. Is this destiny, for us to meet and come together? It feels fated._ Leaning forward, Max kissed Chloe gently on the lips.

"What was _that_ for? Not, uh, not that I'm complaining," Chloe said, her cheeks flushed before she grinned, "And you can't take that kiss back, either!"

"I wouldn't if I could. I just…felt like kissing you. That wrong?"

"Hella no, it isn't! I could do with some more smooches!" Chloe let out with a throaty sigh as they met each other halfway.

The kisses were warm, alternating between tender and hard as Chloe and Max would meet and part for breath. Tongues meeting somewhere in the midst of this, Chloe purred when she felt Max's hands run through her hair and she reached under the sorceress's garb to gently squeeze a breast. Hearing Max moan a little, Chloe flicked the pert nipple which got a giggle out of Max. Parting their lips, a single string of spittle connecting them, Max bumped her nose against Chloe's and deftly removed the hand from her breast.

"Tease," Max chided in jest.

"Yeah, you wouldn't know about that," Chloe replied, smirking, "That was some damn fine kissing, though. Wouldn't mind some more."

"We should sleep," Max replied, lying down. Reaching up with her arms, she guided Chloe down next to her and laid the calloused hand on her chest, "Do you ever think of the future?"

"Wow, that's a deep question," Chloe remarked, "Not really. I tend to think and live in the present. You?"

"I'm always trying to think one day ahead, one moment ahead. I've been on the road so long, on my own so long, it's all I've known."

"Yeah, but now you've got me," Chloe said as she nuzzled Max's neck, bringing a smile to the other girl's face.

"I know, and I like that. I like _us_ , y'know."

"As traveling companions?"

"Companions, friends, and more," Max said, shifting around in the bedroll and furs so that she was lying on her side to face Chloe, "No matter what the future may bring, promise me you'll be in mine."

"D'awww…"

"Promise, Chloe," Max said, caressing Chloe's cheek.

"Of course I promise, Max. I'm never leaving you," Chloe said before looking up at the canopy, "I can see clouds through the treetops. Looks like it might rain tomorrow."

"Then we'd best enjoy the dry conditions while we can," Max said, nestling next to Chloe as the swordswoman wrapped an arm around the sorceress and they drifted off to sleep together.

* * *

"This hella sucks," Chloe muttered as she and Max trudged through the muddy highway, "My feet feel leaden, Max."

"Look behind us!" Max replied, looking over her shoulder from Chloe to what she spotted approaching them from the rear, "A wagon! Maybe the driver will let us travel with them?"

"Anything to keep the goddamn water and muck from my feet," Chloe said in exasperation, wiping the rainwater from her drenched face, "Please let us on, please let us on…"

The covered wagon approached steadily, the mare pulling it neighing when Max and Chloe met up with the conveyance halfway. The driver, an amicable-looking person with white hair and beard who wore a broad-brimmed hat, looked down at them curiously. Max smiled while Chloe crossed her arms; Chloe was keen to get out of the rain, but worried as to how much exactly a ride as far north as the wagon might go would cost. Neither parting speaking immediately, Max took the lead and greeted the driver.

"Hello," Max said as cheerfully as she could; the rain was getting on her nerves as well, "Might we be able to travel with you as far north as you're willing to go? We've money to offer in exchange, or perhaps a service of some kind to barter with…?"

"Max, don't offer him _us_ ," Chloe whispered into Max's ear, snickering when Max looked at her with realized revulsion.

"I didn't mean service in _that specific way_. I meant if we could be of help to you," Max intoned.

"…Eh, ye be a wise-woman? And yer companion?" the driver asked, lifting his head to get a keener look at the two of them standing in the rain.

"I am known as that, yes," Max offered, hand to her chest before she motioned to Chloe, "My companion is a swordswoman, deftly skilled with her blades."

"Pleasure," Chloe said curtly, offering a brief smile that looked more like a flashing of teeth.

"Well, I've no need for swords, but my village could use the knowledge of a wise-woman," the driver replied, motioning with a jerk of his head to the back of the cart, "Hop on and I'll take ye to the border of it and explain the mess."

"Thank you! Thank you _so much_!" Max said eagerly as she ran to the back and climbed in before Chloe could even realize they were getting a lift, "C'mon, Chloe! It's nice and dry in here!"

"R-Right!" Chloe stammered out, running to the back of the wagon, eager to get out of the rain.

In the dry wagon's interior, Max and Chloe huddled together as their clothes slowly began to dry off; with the rear flap closed and secured, the interior was a nice escape from the miserable rain that had pelted them soon after waking up. With their bedroll and furs laid out next to their feet to dry, the duo nearly fell asleep from the steady motion of the cart being pulled forth. Max's head drooping onto Chloe's shoulder, the blue-haired swordswoman gently nudged her companion awake and leaned in.

"Dude, we have _no idea_ what this guy is after. It could be anything – we might be getting taken right into a bandit camp, or-or a trap of some other kind-"

"Chloe, relax. I didn't pick up that kind of vibe from the guy," Max groggily reassured her, "He doesn't seem the type."

" _Max._ Anyone could be that type out here. _Anyone_. I thought you had traveled a lot. How are you not aware that 'the kindness of strangers' is more bullshit than belief?"

"If it were dangerous, don't you think he would've been more nervous and less outright?"

"Well, yeah. I guess. Still, I don't like it."

"We're drying off, heading north, and sheltered from the rain. If he asks for something in return…within reason…I don't see a problem with it."

"Y'know your problem?" Chloe asked, lightly tapping Max on the nose, "You're too damn nice."

"And you're a fucking pessimist," Max lightly shot back, smirking before she got up and crawled over to sit behind the driver, "Excuse me?"

"Hmm?" the driver asked, glancing over his shoulder to see Max kneeling behind him, "Yes?"

"This job you have for us… Is it dangerous?"

"I…I don't think so. Truth is, I don't know. My village, y'see, is under a curse."

"A curse?" Max asked, intrigued and now a little wary, "What do you mean?"

"Well," the driver said as he took his hat off and scratched his head, temporarily letting go of the yoke, "Y'see, I live right on the outskirts so I'm alright, but the others are trapped there. I bring 'em food and medicine by the gate because, for only the gods know what reason, no one living _inside_ the village can leave it. No one."

"Strange…," Max said, stroking her chin, "Will you be letting us off _in_ the village?"

"Course not! I'd not trap a pair of weary souls! I'll put ye up in my home, and ye can investigate."

* * *

Through a branching path off of the main highway, Max and Chloe watched from behind the driver as they approached the village. Max could sense the curse, like a wall that encircled the area with magick. The actual wall itself was a mix of stone and wood, with the wooden gate shut in what the sorceress ventured to guess was a means of turning away potential victims. Seeing a hut near the village, but within a safe distance from the curse, the duo watched as the driver brought the cart around so that it was parked right in front. Getting out from the back as the driver climbed down from the bench up front, Max and Chloe gathered their now-dry possessions and were thankful that the rain had stopped. It was still cloudy, but what concerned Max was the oppressive gloom that seemed to resonate from the village. _I don't detect any magick users in the village, but there is a strong Power in the area. Perhaps an old shrine, or a deserted temple? People fail to realize that places of worship or ceremony carry with them the magick left behind._

"Wowser," Max said, looking at the village as Chloe picked up the bedroll while handing Max her bag.

"That bad?" Chloe asked, her curiosity piqued. She clearly couldn't see what Max was seeing, but the village instilled a wariness in her like a warning bell going off from a tower.

"It encircles the entire village, right up to the gate," Max said before turning to the driver who had begun to unload his provisions, "You must've learned to be very careful about how close you get."

"Aye," the driver said, wiping sweat from his brow as he brought the last barrel down from the wagon, "I leave it just in front of where I've figured out the curse reaches. See the marker in the middle of the road? That's as far as I go; I put that there as a precaution to myself and strangers who might try to seek shelter in the village. Poor souls, they've been without means to farm or hunt for months, now."

"How the hell do you manage to get their supplies, then?" Chloe asked, puzzled, as she scratched her head.

"…The villagers bring me all their valuables and whatever the smith can work up with what he has. They…They don't eat well, but they _do_ eat," the driver replied sadly as he started to carry some of the goods towards the marker, calling out to the villager standing in the watchtower next to the gate.

Chloe and Max watched the exchange, the swordswoman unable to fathom the idea of being trapped in one place for so long a period of time. _If something like that had become of Arc, I'd have hella lost my mind_ , Chloe thought as she and Max took their things into the hut and laid them down by the fireplace. Taking her skull helm and placing it on her head, Max's eyes charged with that ethereal blue Chloe remembered from the hilltop for a moment before returning to their normal hue. Watching Max sit cross-legged in the single-room hut, eyes closed, Chloe felt a tingling sensation on her skin as Max meditated.

"Hmm…," Max murmured, her eyes closed tightly in concentration as she expanded her senses, "It's…nearby…place of Power. An old altar that's…been left to ruin…"

"Soooo, we go cork it up and job's done?" Chloe asked, taking a knee in front of Max when the sorceress opened her eyes.

"Not that simple. It's been desecrated. Probably children from the village having a 'bit of fun' with it, etching carvings in it… Or maybe a couple decided to sneak away and use it as a place for lovemaking," Max said as she got to her feet, "Either way, we'll have to venture deep into the forest. There's a grove of ash trees surrounding it, encircling it. It was a holy place, once. We need to purify it, and _then_ kill the curse."

"Hold up," Chloe said, hands raised defensively, "You're saying we'll have to go _inside_ the village? What if you can't undo the curse?"

"Without the corrupted Power providing the curse with magick it should be fine," Max said before eyeing Chloe with a wry grin, "Unless you want to stay here?"

"No way," Chloe retorted, hands on Max's shoulders, "I told you I'm never leaving you. I just… I want to be safe about this, Max. That's all."

"Chloe, if it were truly dangerous I would not even entertain the idea of trying to undo this. Just purifying the source of Power _alone_ should be enough to weaken the curse to where the villagers can leave the village. It's a matter of breaking it entirely," Max said before heading for the door, "Now c'mon. Time's wasting."

Hiking through the woods, Max with Chloe right behind her had spent the better part of three hours searching for the source of Power emanating from the woods. Max had been able to see it, but with the entire forest engulfed in magick it had been difficult to pinpoint an exact location. On more than one occasion, she had turned them around in a different direction and had grown irksome over the frustration of being unable to find the old altar. Chloe, meanwhile, walked leisurely behind Max as she chewed on a blade of grass and thought about all the fun they had together thus far. Looking over to her right, catching the light of the sun, Chloe spotted an ash tree and grabbed Max by the wrist.

"Max! Ash tree!" Chloe exclaimed, "And another one right next to it! I think that's the place!"

"For reals?" Max asked, looking over in the direction Chloe was pointing. Sighing in relief, Max cupped Chloe's cheeks and stood on her tip-toes to kiss the swordswoman deeply several times, "You're amazing, Chloe. Come on!"

Running the rest of the way until they had reached the abandoned altar, Chloe stopped at the ash trees while Max entered the grove's circle to inspect the stone slab in the center. Smooth as marble, there were old signs of merriment to be found: wine skins, smoking pipes, and abandoned bits of bone from what the sorceress had no doubt was a roasted animal served as a meal. Noticing an old stain on one corner of the altar, Max inspected it and touched her fingers to her lips. _Blood. Not a sacrifice, though. An accident. Also, there's a woman's underclothes tucked underneath so someone_ did _have sex on this, most likely. Damn idiots – this is a place of Power, a sacred place, not some spot for hedonistic bullshit!_ Letting out a groan, Max got to her feet and sat on the edge of the altar as Chloe came up to join her.

"How bad is it?"

"Oh," Max said, startled out of her thoughts as she waved a hand dismissively at Chloe, "It's not bad. I mean, it's _bad_ that people decided to have a party here and fuck, but I can fix this. It's just frustrating. The villagers probably used to worship here. If you look to the east from here you see tall grasslands. I bet _those_ are the abandoned fields the village used to tend to. So, one night…hopefully, it was night…a group of them decided to come here, get shitfaced, and have sex."

"Sounds like one helluva party," Chloe teased, elbowing Max before seeing the serious look on her face, "I'm just jokin', y'know."

"I know, Chloe. Relax," Max said, affectionately squeezing the swordswoman's shoulder as she got to her feet, "Help me clean up their crap, get it out of the grove, and then I'll purify the altar with a ritual."

Chloe watched from just outside the grove as Max raised her staff up over her head with both hands, chanting in some language unbeknownst to her. Watching the ethereal blue crackle from the sorceress's eyes like small fits of lightning, Chloe saw ash roots start to sprout up around the altar and wind themselves around it until the altar's surface was almost entirely covered. Her voice melodious like a song, Max enchanted Chloe with her spellwork as the ash roots disappeared back into the ground and the altar looked more pristine than it had before. _It's like it is brand-fucking-new!_ Chloe thought as she leaned against an ash tree, arms crossed, _The girl knows her mojo._ Seeing Max lower her staff slowly, the magick surrounding her fading, Chloe wrapped an arm around the smaller girl as they started to head back the way they had came.

"All done?" Chloe asked, her voice light and cheerful for Max's sake. The dour look on her companion's face made her want to brighten the sorceress's spirits, "Let's say we just bypass the village and continue north, eh? They screwed themselves over. Fuck 'em, you even said the curse is likely weakened enough that they can leave again."

"No," Max said with a sigh as she leaned her head against the crook of Chloe's arm, "I still need to break it, and find out what caused it to begin with. A curse that traps an entire village… There's more to this than someone's spite. Luckily, magick leaves a mark on those who wield it, even unintentionally. I'll know the culprit when I see them."

* * *

Entering the village, Max could feel the weakened curse laid upon the village as it slowly began to break apart. Even some of the villagers seemed to notice a change as they would step outside the gate and look up as though they were about to be struck down by something otherworldly. Making her way to the village square, Max began to ask around in regards to suspicious activity while Chloe maintained close watch over her precious sorceress. Every villager seemed to want to accuse each other for the calamity that had been plaguing them for months, but a few led Max and Chloe to a small house the furthest east from the gate. Knocking on the door, Max squatted down when she was greeting by a small girl of no more than 8 winters of age.

"Hello there," Max said, taking her helm off so as to not frighten the child, "My name is Max. What's yours?"

"Papa says to not talk t'strangers," the girl mumbled, fidgeting with her hands before someone who appeared to be her grandmother came from another room.

"Yes?" the grandmother asked, "Are you the ones who lifted the curse?"

"We weakened it by restoring the old grove to the northeast of here," Max said, being able to tell that something was up with this household, "Are you by chance a practicioner from that grove?"

"I were, a long time ago. Before the village began to prosper from the harvests," the grandmother replied, "I've always felt, though, that it t'were the gods who blessed us with such fortune. Alas, my body is not what it used to be and I can no longer make the sojourn."

"Did you teach anyone about the old ways, perhaps tell stories?" Chloe asked, hands on her hips, "Someone in this village inflicted the curse and we-"

"It's the little one," Max said, eyes meeting the young girl as she knelt down and patted the girl's head, "You went to pray there for something, didn't you? D'you mind telling me what you prayed for?"

"W-Well… Papa always used to go away for work. He-He fights for a living, for other people," the child began to explain.

"A mercenary," Max said, the little girl nodding in reply, "Go on."

"Well, one day he came home and was hurt bad. I didn't want to lose him, my papa, since mama died last year of fever! So, I went to the old grove that Nana tells me about and prayed that papa and everyone in the village would be safe. I didn't want this, though, for everyone to not be able to leave! I didn't mean it, I swear!"

Max ruffled the girl's hair and asked for the father to be brought to her. Seeing him approach, grey-haired and appearing somewhat feeble, things became clearer to her as he stopped just short of the doorway.

"You can't leave the house, can you?" Max asked.

"No, young miss. I cannot," the weary mercenary replied in a sigh, "Every time I try it is as though a bit o' my strength has left me, y'see. So, I stopped tryin'."

"Aww, Max. What're we gonna do?" Chloe whispered into Max's ear once the sorceress had gotten to her feet, "We can't tell the other villagers about this! They'll kick them out, or _worse_."

"The curse can be lifted right now, entirely and completely," Max explained, reaching out to the weary father and mercenary, "Take my hand."

Timidly, apprehensive of what may occur, the mercenary reached out to where his fingers were just within the doorway when Max grabbed him by the forearm and pulled him clean out of the house. Watching a mist roil off of him, Chloe thought that maybe it was stink or sweat before noticing that the mist hung over him for a moment before vanishing entirely. Looking to Max quizzically, the sorceress shrugged and patted the little girl on the head.

"By weakening the curse through a purification of the old grove, it became possible to break the curse entirely by getting the father out of the house," Max explained to Chloe and the family, the mercenary already seeming to regain his lost strength, "It was an accidental curse, one emanating from your daughter's love for you. It was the defilement of the grove that twisted her wish into a curse that plagued your village. Pay your respects to the old gods more often, keep the altar safe and purified, and prepare yourselves - This little girl has a gift for blessings, when the magick itself isn't corrupted."

Max and Chloe wished the family well and were quickly on their way to the driver's house where they spent the night, both girls exhausted from all their searching in the woods. They slept until late the next morning, when the driver agreed to take them back to the main road so they could reach the Northern Kingdom – it was mere days away.

 **Author's Note -**

 **Hope you enjoyed this latest installment in Wyrd Ways, Strange Days. More adventuring yet to come :)**

 **Stay Hella, Cinnamon Rolls!**


	9. Touching You, Loving You

**Warning - NSFW. Sexual content.**

"So, still think it's a marvelous place?" Max asked, hand on Chloe's shoulder as she motioned toward the structures ahead.

"This…is _hella_ disappointing, Max," Chloe said flatly as the two surveyed the Northern Kingdom about half a mile away before starting the final walk towards their destination.

The castle itself, unimaginably tall, loomed over the wall surrounding it and the posher sections of the kingdom, with the rundown areas and slums encircling it as though attempting to squeeze some of the luster from the core. Having left the now curse-free village behind after a day's rest and two days of walking on the highway, Max and Chloe had finally made it. Chloe thought she would be relieved, but all she wanted to do was just turn around. She could smell the stench of filth and waste this far away. _It smells like the aftermath of a large battle_ , Chloe thought as she wrinkled her nose at the wafting smells coming from the oversized city, _This is hella gross._ Walking over to the side of the highway to avoid incoming and outgoing traffic, Chloe pulled Max aside with her and placed her hands on her hips.

"You didn't tell me the majority of it is a fucking dump, dude!" Chloe exclaimed, eyes narrowed a little bit accusingly.

"You didn't ask, and I _did_ kinda say I thought this was a bad idea," Max replied, arms crossed as she met Chloe's gaze with her own, "Don't you think that _my_ advice, considering I've been here before, should've been taken a little more seriously?"

"…I just wanted to see it, that's all," Chloe said in surrender to Max's logic, arms falling to her sides as she hung her head and leaned it against Max's, "I've never been this far north, that's all. I didn't know it'd be hella lame."

"It's not _all_ bad," Max said reassuringly, patting Chloe on the shoulder as she kissed the swordswoman's nose, "I can make some money here doing healings and whatnot. Plus, there's a bank in the main square that'll convert our non-Imperial coins. One of the good things about the Northern Kingdom? Their coin is good just about everywhere. Now c'mon, dork. Let's go find an inn. I'm _hella_ famished, and could use a stiff drink, too."

"Lead the way," Chloe said, motioning for Max to take point on the last bit of their journey to the kingdom just ahead.

Heading into town through the main gate, Max and Chloe nodded in passing to the guardsmen at the gates and heard one of them mutter about "bloody travelers" before entering the city proper. It was a city-state among the Kingdom, and the capital at that. The buildings in the lower-class area almost seemed to be built on top of each other, Chloe noticed as she looked up to the cityscape. _The sky is smoky here, the air hella rough to breathe, but tolerable. How long was Max here? It couldn't have been_ that _fucking long_ , Chloe thought to herself. Catching up to the sorceress as she had spaced out and stopped walking, Chloe nudged Max's shoulder with her own and grinned slyly; in return, Max blushed a little and slipped her hand into Chloe's. The dilapidated houses, taverns, brothels, inns, and shops were mere figments to Chloe whenever she looked into Max's knowing blue eyes.

"Excuse me, young miss?" an elderly man asked, breaking the couple's reprieve from their surroundings, "You wouldn't by chance be a wise-woman, would you?"

"I am," Max said, nodding at the stranger, "Do you seek something from me?"

"Indeed. The missus has caught a terrible fever and I know naught how to treat her aside from cold water and bed rest," the elderly man replied. By the appearance of this man, his clothes in shambles and a size too big, it was evident to Max that poor diet and starvation were partly behind whatever sickness his wife may have, "Would you aid us?"

"What have you in return to provide me and mine?" Max replied, taking Chloe by surprise. She figured Max would help out of the kindness of her heart. The fact that the sorceress was bartering left her stupefied.

"I have no coin, but we've a spare room with a good bed," the man replied, his eyes searching Max's face for signs of compassion.

With a sigh, Max nodded and motioned for the elderly fellow to lead the way. Keeping Chloe right next to her as they wandered through various streets and alleyways, Max looked at her companion and flicked her eyes downward at the twin blades the swordswoman possessed. _Be on your guard_ , Max mouthed silently to Chloe. She had seen this before, had fallen prey to others claiming illness or injury…only to find herself surrounded by thieves or brigands who were after her goods. The wares of a sorceress can fetch a decent amount of coin, depending on where you sell them and whom you steal them from.

Holding the shaft of her staff midway its length so that either spell or spear would be easily made ready, Max watched out of the corner of her eye as Chloe put a hand on each of her blades. It was a cold world, a cruel one, where a simple act of kindness or compassion could turn deadly. Their journey thus far, while mired with the occasional danger, had been relatively lighthearted. Max chastised herself for getting convinced to return to this place. _Only Chloe could've gotten me to set foot back in this dump. Wowser,_ the young sorceress thought as she shook her head.

"Are we there yet?" Chloe asked, keeping the rising caution out of her voice.

"Very nearly. It's just around the next building. I must apologize in advance for some of the squalor," the elderly fellow said, looking over his shoulder briefly, "I'm a fisherman by trade and the seas have not been kind this season. We've barely the coin for food, much less medicine."

Coming around the bend, Chloe and Max saw an old hut sitting between two taller buildings with a fourth building held above the hut by struts and support beams emanating from the ground and the two adjacent buildings. Whistling at the sight, Chloe removed her hands from her blades after Max's shoulders visibly relaxed. A sad smile played on her companion's face. _Disaster averted, I guess,_ Chloe thought to herself as she followed Max inside the small abode. A single-room dwelling with a loft, the dining table took up the center space, with a small bed in one corner by a fireplace and a kitchen area nestled on the other side. The loft section held another bed, a straw mattress by Max's surmising, and was likely the couple's. _He'd offer us him and his wife's own bed in exchange for my services,_ Max thought as she headed around the table to where an elderly woman laid asleep on the smaller bed.

"She's burning up," Max said, feeling the heat radiate off the woman's skin as she put the back of her hand against the sweaty forehead. Wiping her hand on her furs, Max turned to the husband, "Has the water you've given her been clean?"

"The cleanest I can find," the husband said, hat in his hands as Chloe watched from the doorway, "Can you help her?"

"I can, but I won't take your bed as payment," Max replied, "Go fetch more water and I'll prepare what remedies I can."

When the old man left with an empty pail, Max signaled for Chloe to join her at the elderly woman's bedside. Producing a couple vials and some herbs from her bag, Max asked Chloe to mince the herbs and mix them together in one of the vials while Max herself prepared a blessing of healing. Chloe heard Max mumble in a foreign language and sighed in mild relief when the old woman's breathing became less laborious. Chopping up the herbs Max had given her provided Chloe with busy work; she knew that's all it was, but Chloe was glad to be of help to Max. _After all the hella crazy shit we've been through since meeting, the least I can do is prepare her stuff for her,_ Chloe thought as she gathered the herbs and stuffed them into one of the vials.

"This good?" Chloe asked, reaching around Max's shoulder to shake the vial in front of the sorceress's face.

"Y-Yes, it's fine," Max said, a little surprised by the proximity of the vial to her face. Taking the herbs, Max stood up and leaned against the dining table before Chloe joined her, "Sorry for the loss of a bed. I figured you might not be too keen sleeping under a roof with an entire house propped above it."

"How the fuck does that even work, y'know?" Chloe asked, arms crossed as she looked up at the ceiling, "I mean, how'd they build it, get it up there, and how do they get down? This place is ridiculous."

"They likely use the rooftops. You didn't notice? There's walkways, staircases, and rope ladders that all lead up to various rooftops. The roofs are as much stomping ground as the ground itself," Max said before glancing at the door, "I hope the water he brings really _is_ clean. The purity of the water will determine how helpful the herbs will be when the concoction is finished."

"How bad is she?" Chloe asked, jerking her chin in the direction of the sleeping old woman.

"Not dangerously bad, but close. If I'd turned him down, she would likely have not survived a fortnight," Max said grimly, "This is one of the reasons I didn't want to come here. The differences between the lower-class and those who can live within the inner city. Decent food, water, and medicine costs too much for a lot of these people and they suffer for it; never mind the sewage problem. If the old man found a source of clean water, he's a miracle worker himself. If not, I'll have to boil the water first and let it cool. The herbs are ineffective with hot water. I need it as a solution, not a soup broth."

Shortly after saying that, the elderly man returned with a pail of cool, relatively clear water. Not bothering with asking how he managed such a feat in the slums, Max used the empty vial and examined the water she had taken from the pail. Satisfied enough, Max poured its contents into the other vial until it was full and then corked the vial. Shaking it a little, Max popped the cork and used a small utensil from her bag to mash the herbs down to the bottom, steeping the cold liquid until it turned a pea green. Bringing the concoction to the elderly man's wife, Max asked him to tip her chin up some while she had Chloe open the woman's mouth. Slowly pouring the liquid down, Max smirked a little at the sleepy look of disgust on the woman's face as she seemed to awaken for a moment before drifting back off.

"That's that," Max said, matter-of-factly as she put her hands on her hips, "Give it a day or so and she should be of good health again. Now, question – where _did_ you manage to find such clean water here?"

"M'son is a guard for the inner wall, y'see," the elderly man answered, "S'when I told 'im his mother was sick he grabbed the pail and ran into the nicer part of the city to fetch th' water. He's a good boy, that 'un."

"Indeed he hella is," Chloe said, sniffing at the vial of mashed herbs and recoiling a bit, "If he's a city guard, though, he ought to do something about your living conditions."

"Naw, we've lived in this house fer years. Naught to leave, we are. Tis home."

Collecting her things, Max slung her bag over her shoulder before getting tapped on it; the old gaffer produced a few Imperial coins.

"From m'son, for yer services. I thank you much, miss. Truly."

"…Keep them," Max said, closing the old man's hand over the coins, "Buy fresh food for you and your wife, and new clothes. Part of the reason she caught fever is the malnutrition and threadbare wares you two have on. Hot bread, soup, and warmer clothes should help further her along in _staying_ better."

Max led Chloe out of the dwelling and brushed the dust and dirt off of her knees. Their little detour had taken a few hours, so midday had come and gone. Starving and in need of a stiff drink after working, the sorceress led her companion through the alleyways and streets until they were back on the main street that led to the marketplace.

"Hungry?" Chloe asked, a wry grin on her face when she heard Max's stomach growl

"You've no idea. Spellwork takes a lot out of me, even the simple stuff. I feel like I could eat an entire roasted boar at this point," Max joked, laughing as they made their way to the market.

The outer market, located on the fringe of where the inner wall led to the more refined section of the city, was full of people arguing prices and haggling over the common _and_ the oddest of things. Chloe watched, Max taking point, as men and women fought over fabrics, food, and weapons. The only thing that seemed to be without strife was mutual inebriation; Chloe could smell the sour stench of stale beer, the luxurious scent of mulled wine, and the crisp tang of hard cider. Coming to an inn that had a flaming torch emblazoned on a sign, "The Outpost" titled below it, Max went inside and was halfway through the door when she noticed that Chloe had stopped just short of the steps leading to the door.

"What?" Max asked simply, eyebrow raised in tandem to the question.

"I've heard of this place. My…My friend Rachel, um, would talk about it a lot," Chloe struggled to explain, "I… I wish she were here, to raise a mug with us. I miss her sometimes."

"Is my company-?"

"Don't even finish that sentence, Max," Chloe said, taking all three steps in a single bound so she could kiss the sorceress hard, "I'm here with you. Just… It's hella weird, getting here. That's all."

"No worries," Max said, nuzzling the swordswoman's neck before taking Chloe's hand and leading her inside.

Inside, the tavern was far more polished than its exterior would lead a person to believe. Well-kept and fairly clean, the noise of merrymaking and drinking was a pleasant reprieve to Chloe from the sounds of coughing and begging she had heard while traversing the slums with Max. _Feel sorry for that old man and his wife_ , Chloe thought as she and Max took a small table near the bar, _They're living in a hella drafty, broken-down place and here we are at a nice tavern about to better food than they've had in years._ Chloe normally did not give much thought to others, but seeing Max do her work throughout their journeys, as well as the sorceress rubbing off on her, had shifted Chloe's perspective a little bit. The barman approached, snapping Chloe out of her thoughts as he greeted them with smiles and a flimsy paper menu.

"Anything but venison," Chloe muttered to Max, "It's practically all we lived off of while traveling. That, along with bread and water."

"Wowser. Didn't realize my cooking was _that_ bad," Max joked before she took a peek at the menu, "How are things, Fernando? You and Kristen still fighting?"

"Naw, Max. We're in a good place, now. Kristen's expecting," Fernando said, Chloe's jaw dropping as she realized the barman and Max were friends, "Anything specific you'd like to eat. It's on the house."

"I wouldn't do that to you," Max replied, waving off the gesture with a smile, "I know you're not at a loss for coin with this place, so well-placed, but we'll pay nonetheless. This is my…partner, Chloe."

"S'up?" Chloe blurted out, the only thing she could manage to say amidst the confusion, "Max, you been here before?"

"Oh, yeah, I used to come here all the time when I lived here in the city. Gotta get my grub on somewhere," Max said as she passed the menu to Chloe, "I'll have the rabbit stew and a hard cider, along with a shot of whiskey. Chlo?"

"Um, uh, same…I guess?" Chloe offered the menu back to Fernando with a friendly smile, "But gimme two shots of whiskey, yeah?"

"Comin' right up!" Fernando cheerfully replied as he left to fetch their drinks.

Max and Chloe waited for their drinks patiently, sitting idly as they took in the raucousness of their surroundings with good cheer. It had been a long road, taken weeks, but they had finally made it to their destination: The Northern Kingdom. _Not how I thought it'd be, though,_ Chloe thought as she took in the establishment with her eyes, _There's such a contrast between how people live here. Down south, all I knew were camps, tents, battles, and marching. Never got to really see the city, except from a distance. Even the villages Max and I visited were pretty fair about how their people lived. Here, it's almost like night and day. Hell, I bet it's hella insane for those living within the inner city. Damn._ Taking a shot of whiskey after their drinks were delivered by a barmaid, Chloe looked Max dead in her eyes.

"This place kinda sucks, doesn't it?" Chloe asked nonchalantly.

"It is pretty unfair to those who live in the slums, yeah," Max said, sipping at her hard cider after she had dropped the shot of whiskey into it, "That's where I did most of my work when I was spending time here. I don't really think I ever _lived_ here; I'd treat someone and be offered room and board, at best. At worst, I'd leave completely empty-handed. I didn't mind, not really. I was more interested in caring for those who couldn't care for themselves. Still, there were nights I spent huddled in the cool air up in a tree. Thieves are pretty thick here, so I never stayed in one place too long."

"Why let me bring us here, then? Why let me go with my idea of a 'grand adventure'?" Chloe asked, leaning forward.

"Because," Max said, reaching over to caress Chloe's hand, " _You_ are the adventure. I want to see as much of the world with you as possible, experience it not just by myself. Chloe, I…I love you."

The air seemed to hang as Max's words went into Chloe's ears. She knew what Max said, had heard it, but something did not seem to register immediately with Chloe. Blinking her eyes a couple of times, Chloe's face reddened and she glowered at her drink while trying to come up with something cool to say in response. _What the hell do I say? I… I like her. A lot. Is it love, though? What is love? This hella sucks,_ Chloe thought as she glanced up to see Max peering over at her from behind her bangs, looking away the second she was noticed. _Shit! I…I think I-_

"I hella think I'm in love with you, too," Chloe blurted out, awkwardly as she nearly slipped over some of the words, "…Goddammit, this isn't supposed to go like _this_."

"W-What do you mean?" Max asked, the nervousness in her voice making it plain that she was preparing for things to go sour.

"N-No! No, Max. I don't mean that in a bad way," Chloe said, reaching across the table to take Max's trembling hand, "I love you. Hella. I just… I didn't think it would go down in an inn inside a shit-city. I thought we'd be out camping one night, just us and the stars-"

"You romantic."

"Shaddup. I'm serious. I thought we'd be alone and, y'know," Chloe said, averting her eyes as her face reddened further, "…Intimate."

"Oh. _Ohh,_ " Max said, catching on just as the food showed up. Her stomach and Chloe's growling in harmonious sync, Max chuckled, "How about we eat first, and then moon over each other?"

"Y-Yeah. I need something to break this hella awkwardness."

"Clearly."

"Like I said – shaddup."

Max and Chloe poured over their spread of cheese, bread, and stew; the savory smells wafting from their earthenware bowls furthered the hunger they had forgotten about with their attempt at a serious conversation. Digging in, Max ripped off a chunk of bread and began to sop up some of the broth while Chloe sliced a thin strip of cheese and placed it into the stew, melting it to further enhance the flavor for herself. Eating peacefully, the din in the dining area notwithstanding, the pair made small talk about what to do next while eating. Chloe wanted to see what the inner city was like. Max conceded to her companion's request after getting the idea of just leaving shot down. As much as Chloe disliked a number of things about the city, the Northern Kingdom still was in need of adventuring and she was not about to turn down the possibility of getting some sights seen.

"I wanna see the castle, like close up," Chloe said with a mouth half-full of bread, "I'd also like to see about getting my armor looked at. Can't really maintain it like I did when I was a mercenary."

"What _was_ the mercenary life like? Seriously," Max inquired, washing down some of the stew with her hard cider, "I'm curious."

"A lot of marching, fighting, and camping. We weren't all that regimental like some outfits. We had colors, a blue jay with an arrow in its clutches, and we kinda just went from place to place when called upon. Aside from that, we hunted, fished, drank, and would have little internal fights to work on our combat techniques. And stress."

"Sounds interesting. I'd love to have seen you in a battle."

"You've seen me do battle," Chloe remarked, almost sounding offended, "What do you think the hilltop temple fight was?"

"That was a _fight_ , Chlo. I'm talking about a _real_ battle with armies and such."

"Gotcha. Eh, you probably would've just seen me running around, killing the other side while trying not to die. Poets and bards make battle seem grandiose, but it's really just hella brutal labor."

"Huh," was Max's reply as she noticed the table, "I can't help but see that we've supped to completion…"

"Yeah, so…?"

"I believe we were going to discuss something _important_ …?" Max ruefully inquired, one eyebrow cocked as she slyly grinned.

"…Oh. _Shit._ "

"…How about we go upstairs to a room and I _show_ you how I feel rather than explain it to you?" Max asked, getting to her feet as she offered her hand to Chloe with a loving smile on her face, "It's time."

Taking Chloe's hand once the swordswoman had given it after a questioning smile, Max winked at Fernando as he saw them head up the stairs to where the rooms were. Taking her time as she led Chloe, Max found the room she had occupied last time she was in the city available and opened the door. Closing it behind Chloe, Max sat her skull helm down on a small dresser and stood right in front of Chloe.

The furnishings were simple; a bed with clean linen and furs, the dresser upon which Max's helm rested, and a bedside table where a few large candles stood unlit. The window was open, letting in the light as well as the smell of the city. Kissing Chloe on her nose, having to stand on her tiptoes to do it, Max then walked over to the window and shut it. The room darkened, Max murmured a chant and the candles lit instantly, making Chloe jump a little from the suddenness of the flames.

"Wait a sec-" Chloe started to say, but Max tenderly put a finger to her lips.

"If you don't want to do this, Chloe, I'll understand," Max said, her voice soft and low as she stood in front of Chloe once more. Letting the hand she was using to silence Chloe drop, Max shifted her furs and other clothes off until she stood naked before the taller girl, "I want to not just love you; I want to _make_ love with you. Create it."

"Hella…," Chloe replied, the only word that could come to mind as she took in Max's nude form, "…Okay."

"Yes?"

"Yes, Max. Let's… Make love to me."

Max purred as she slowly undressed Chloe, slapping away the blue-haired girl's hands playfully whenever Chloe tried to help. Giggling a little from her partner's impatience, Max took her time as she unbuckled, unfastened, and loosened every piece of armor until they fell away from Chloe's body. Wearing nothing but a linen undershirt, Chloe peeled that off herself and the two stood facing one another as they held hands. Chloe's eyes glistened as Max's brightened and a heavy aroma of incense began to waft about the room.

"How did you…?"

"I have my ways," Max said coyly, motioning over to the bedside table to where a small mound of incense burned on a platter, "I'm a sorceress, remember?"

"How could I forget? You cast a spell on me."

"Oh, _Goddess_ ," Max said, giggling, "That was so cheesy."

"Shush. I'm tryin' to be romantic."

"Don't _try_ to be anything but yourself, Chloe," Max said as she led the other girl to the bed, "Do you want to be on top or do you want me to be?"

"How about we just kneel on it and see where that goes. I like the idea of us facing one another as we start."

Max nodded and got onto the bed in a kneeling position, offering her hand as Chloe took it and joined her. Eyes locked on each other, Max and Chloe explored each other's bodies with their hands as they began with soft kisses and touches on the breasts. Chloe moaned between her parted lips when Max pinched a nipple and the tip of her tongue came out. Max gently bit on the tongue and drew it out some more before she began to suck on it while fondling Chloe's breasts as the other girl did the same.

The medallions they wore glowed a crimson hue as Max and Chloe began their love making, basking the girls in a warmth that soon filled the room. No words spoken, the only sounds they made were breathing and panting as they kissed passionately while embracing. Running her hands through Chloe's hair, Max smiled between kisses as Chloe wrapped her arms around Max and squeezed her buttocks. Gently, slowly, Max laid down on the bed and brought her legs around Chloe's waist as she began to feel a wetness between both her legs and her lover's.

Probing Chloe's body as she let go of the blue hair, Max found several scars and touched each one gently, exploring the remnants of her partner's old battles and campaigns. _Where has she been? What has she done, what has she seen? I want to know every inch of this woman_ , Max thought as she bumped her nose against Chloe's, breaking the other girl's concentration as she had been preoccupied with several long kisses in the hollow between Max's breasts.

"Hmm?"

"So many scars…"

"It happens."

"I know, but your skin tells a life's story. Your life. Let's switch," Max said as she started to sit up, Chloe kneeling in front of her, "Lie down and let me touch you."

"You've already been touching me," Chloe replied with a wink, but complied to the other girl's request.

Lying on her back, Chloe began to make pleased sounds as Max worked at the knotted muscles and scars with her hands, massaging Chloe from the shoulders down. Kneading the tenseness out of her lover's body, Max focused healing energies into the massage. She wasn't out to erase the scars, but to simply make the experience – their love – more pleasurable for the swordswoman. Moving from Chloe's shoulders, Max cupped Chloe's breasts and rubbed at them gently, playfully flicking the nipples with the response of a delighted giggle on the other end as Chloe beamed at her. Seeing the abs, lean and cut, Max placed her hands on them and ran them up and down the length of Chloe's abdomen multiple times over. She could feel the arousal between them building, the incredible wet feeling between her legs notwithstanding. Moving down, Max skipped Chloe's slick slit and instead massaged the toned, muscular legs that had partnered up with her own as they had traveled. Kissing Chloe's inner thighs softly, Max licked at the wet spots before moving on to her lover's feet.

"A foot massage?" Chloe asked in a breathy voice, "It's official. I'm dead, and this is the afterlife."

"Mmm, just keep on riding that high, my love," Max purred as she kneaded and rubbed Chloe's calloused feet, working the muscles as they grew less tense, "You're so tense. Have you always been this tensed up?"

"Comes with the fighting."

"Feeling any better, what with my working you over?" Max asked as she kneeled at Chloe's feet while massaging them.

"You have not a single idea how hella amazing all this feels, Max."

"What can I say? I get as much pleasure from giving as I do from receiving," Max said, the pleased tone in her voice making Chloe giggle.

Finishing up with the massage, Max laid down on her side next to Chloe and pulled the girl to her. Kissing resumed, with their hands deftly arriving at each other's inner thighs. Max shivered from the delight of feeling Chloe run a finger along her slit, and her eyes bulged when Chloe licked the wetness off with her tongue. Tasting each other as they kissed after Max did the same, both girls swooned and were breathless in their passion as hands probing and searching turned into fingers inching their way into each other's sexes. Slow, methodical thrusts on Chloe's part with Max coyly playing with her lover's clit started the experience in earnest, everything before a prelude to the passion that had been building.

"Max," Chloe said in a low, breathy pant, "Don't tease me like that."

"I'm not teasing, my love," Max insisted, "I'm taking my time."

"Babe, please, _don't_."

In response, Max began to slowly thrust two fingers into Chloe's sex, pumping rhythmically as though their heartbeats were in perfect sync. Sitting up as she continued, Max straddled Chloe and continued to pleasure her lover while Chloe did the same. _I can't believe this is happening, oh Gods_ , Chloe thought, her mind so clouded by the intensity of their lovemaking that being capable of thought and not pure instinct surprised her, _I've wanted this for so long. Not just Max – I've wanted to_ feel _this kind of love. Max, you're-_

"Amazing," Chloe murmured as her back arched from coming, Max making rough grunting sounds and moans as she also came.

Flopping onto the bed beside Chloe, licking her fingers clean, Max used her clean hand to stroke Chloe's cheek and run her fingers through the marvelous blue hair she adored so much. Both girls breathing heavily from the experience, the room was still as they laid there amongst the scents of sex and incense. Planting small kisses on her lover's cheek, Max nuzzled Chloe's neck and nibbled at the girl's collarbone while Chloe wrapped an arm around Max's waist and pulled her in closer. A contented sigh escaped her parted lips as Chloe turned to lie on her side so that she and Max were facing each other, kisses aplenty.

"That was… I hella can't think of a word that would fit, babe," Chloe said, using a finger to trace the outline of Max's lips, "I love you. I love you so much."

"And I love you," Max said, looking into Chloe's eyes to see them glistening, "Happy tears?"

"Very."


	10. Brawl on the Waterfront

"…mmm…Morning," Chloe said as she stirred awake, the smell of melted wax and incense still heavy in the room. Looking over at her lover, Chloe smiled when Max groggily opened her eyes and looked over at her, "Ah, there she is. There you are."

"Wanna sleep more," Max said with a faint whine, "Go back to sleep, Chloe."

"Can't. Tried."

"So then I must be up as well?" Max asked, moving from lying on her back amongst the furs to lay on her side. Facing Chloe, Max pouted.

"Seems only fair."

"Boo. _Boo_ , I don't like your rules," Max said in a teasing voice despite her droopy eyelids as she fought the urge to go back to sleep.

The girls curled up together and laid on the bed, the furs and blankets managing to keep them warm in spite of them lying _on top_ of them rather than in them. Chloe thought back to last night; the experience had been amazing. _Hella amazing_ , Chloe thought as she ran a hand through Max's mousy hair, _She's amazing_. Laying naked, Chloe could faintly smell the stale odor of dried sweat from their night of lovemaking; the first time they had came together ending up being one of several. Her body ached, but in a good way. Leaning over to find a pitcher of water set beside the bed, Chloe sniffed at it to make sure it was drinkable before downing a couple mouthfuls of the liquid.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Chloe asked, offering Max the pitcher, chuckling when the sorceress greedily gulped down a generous portion of their beverage.

"Breakfast…and then, bed," Max lazily replied, a sleepy grin on her face that made her all the more adorable to Chloe.

"Ah, c'mon. I don't wanna lie in bed all day. It's the _city_. We should at least explore the nicer area first."

"I thought that's what we did last night," Max teased, wrapping her arms around the other girl's midsection, hands running the length of Chloe's back as she leaned in for a tender kiss, "More exploring."

"Damn, Max. You're hardcore," Chloe mused, kissing the sorceress on the nose before breaking free of the weak grip. Slowly, stiffly, Chloe got out of bed and stood up to stretch. Yawning, Chloe faced away from Max to hide her own sleepiness. She was exhausted, but also energized in a fashion. Last night had only been the start, for the both of them. Chloe internally marveled at what the future would bring them.

Putting on her undershirt, Chloe went to the dresser and splashed her face with water from the basin, forcing herself to wake up completely. It took a couple splashes of the cold water, but eventually what little sleep-derived fugue ebbed away and she was alert. Walking back to the bed, Chloe flicked some of the water on her hand at Max and laughed when the smaller girl hissed at her and began to bury herself under the furs. Pulling at each fur, Chloe grinned when Max looked at her from underneath the bed sheet.

"There you are," Chloe said wryly, crooked grin on her face as Max's eyes glowed a dim blue, "No magick, babe. Please?"

"…Babe?" Max asked, her eyes narrowing as she played along and climbed off the bed, taking the sheet with her, "I'm your _babe_ now, huh?"

"Hella damn straight. Or, uh, gay…?"

"Dork."

"C'mon, my fair lady sorceress," Chloe said, offering a hand, "Let's get dressed and get something to eat. All the naughty fun last night has me epically hungry."

"I could _definitely_ nosh on some eggs and bacon," Max said with a nod before getting dressed as Chloe did the same.

The couple made their way downstairs quickly, the inn's dining area and bar empty save for a couple of patrons sitting in one of the corners by the door. Paying them no heed, Max and Chloe plopped down at the table they had used the previous night and waited for someone to come and take their order. _I wonder what this place even offers for breakfast_ , Chloe mused as she held Max's hand from across the table, their fingers interweaving as they played footsie underneath the table. When Max's boot inched up towards Chloe's thigh, the sorceress laughed at the blushing swordswoman. The time was not long before Kristen, belly swollen with child, came from the back room and smiled in greeting towards Max.

"Wowser, Kristen, how many children are you having?" Max asked in astonishment, her hand faintly outstretched, "Um, may I?"

"Of course you may," Kristen offered, smiling contently when Max placed her hand on the pregnant woman's belly, "Och, he's kickin' something fierce this morning."

"A boy?" Chloe offered before smiling, "I'm Chloe, by the way. Max and I… We're-"

"Together," Max finished, smiling at Chloe as she withdrew her hand, "Traveling and adventuring, among other things."

"I _know_ ," Kristen said with a laugh, "We could hear ye two last night, moaning and giggling. I'm happy for ye, Max. For the both of ye. Now, what would you like to eat?"

"What d'you have?" Chloe asked.

"Beer, mead, eggs, a haunch of roast pig, bread, and some sweet cakes with honey."

"I'll have the eggs and roasted pig. Wanna split the haunch?" Chloe inquired to Max.

"I, uh…," Max stammered as she thought the meal options over, "I'll have the eggs and sweet cakes. Chloe can have the haunch all to herself. Oh, and some mead."

"Beer for me, and _half_ a haunch, I guess," Chloe said before shooting Max a sideways glance, "Wuss."

"Hey, I like their sweet cakes!"

* * *

Walking into the inner city was like night and day between the outer fringes where the slums were located and the castle itself. Clean, cobblestone streets paved the entirety of it and the buildings were all in good, working order. No homeless, no abandoned buildings; the inner city, for Chloe, was almost offensive in its luxury. _Still smells the same, though,_ she thought as she and Max wandered aimlessly. Getting looks of disdain from the residents, all of them _blatantly_ much better off in appearance than those whom Chloe had seen outside the inner city, Chloe would occasionally flip them off while Max was distracted by some bobble or listening in on passing gossip.

"You're such a snoop," Chloe teased, wrapping an arm around her partner's shoulder as the two began to head toward a crowded area.

"I'm…just being investigative. You never know…," Max emphasized, raising an index finger as though to make a point, "Besides, gossip here is as good as money. Find the right person, you stand to make some coin."

"There's other ways to make coin. Look!" Chloe exclaimed as she was able to discern a tourney going on amidst the crowd, "…Ach, hella lame. Knightly tourney."

Walking up to the crowd, Chloe and Max weaved their way through the throngs of people until they were right up against the railing separating the spectators from those either waiting to fight or those currently engaged in a duel. Knights in resplendent armor fought with longswords, maces, and shields as the _clang_ of battle echoed throughout the square the two girls had entered. Chloe watched with a scrutinizing gaze as Max observed while keeping an eye on their money purse, wary of pickpockets who liked to use these venues to supplement their income. When one of the knights blocked a mace strike with their shield, staggering from the impact, Chloe groaned.

"That's the problem with fighting in heavy armor. Armor should be more like mine," Chloe said to Max, leaning in so the sorceress could hear her over the raucous crowd.

"How so?"

"Durable, light, and flexible. Hardened leather and chainmail. It's not difficult to swing a sword, but to do so effectively you ought to be hella fast and agile. These guys? They're all large, almost obnoxious swings, and the armor's gotta weight forty pounds or so. See? Look – they're taking a fucking break, for crying out loud. They're exhausted after only probably a few minutes."

"Maybe that's all it takes for them," Max suggested with a shrug, wincing when Chloe laughed loudly enough that it was abrasive to sorceress's hearing.

"Fuck that! Gimme my blades and armor and I'd make work of them relatively easy," Chloe said, picking up a flyer from the ground, "Lame. '…Of noble birth and/or knighthood _only'_. What utter bullshit. I want to see a real fight! …Fuck that, I want to _be_ in something like this!"

"Well…"

"Wait. Hold up," Chloe said, noticing the sheepish look on Max's face, "You _know_ of something like that?"

"Um, well, there's typically matches by the docks, along the west end of the outer city. They're pretty brutal, though. I would stand by for a couple as medical assistance in case of serious injury. Decent money."

"Max, we have to go!" Chloe said, grabbing Max by the shoulders with a look of glee on her face.

"But what about-?"

"Fuck these guys!" Chloe said as she took Max by the hand and led her out away from the throng of people, "I wanna fight!"

"I don't want you to get hurt," Max said with a pout and a deep concern in her voice.

"Dude, I'm a… I _was_ a hired sword. A mercenary."

"Gimme a fight, and I'll win it."

The walk to the docks required some fabric and stitching, as well as a brief return to Kristen and Fernando's inn. Sewing together a pair of trunks and a strap-top for Chloe so as to not fight bare-breasted, Max sat on the bed as Chloe watched her from where she sat sprawled out on the floor. The trunks of soft cowhide, the strap of boiled leather, they provided no protection whatsoever except to keep Chloe clothed. Finishing up the sewing with a snip of her scissors, Max laid out the minimalist garments and looked down at Chloe.

"You're _sure_ about this?" Max asked, thin-lipped with a dour look on her face.

"Chillax, babe. If I lasted years with a mercenary band, you don't think I didn't learn some sweet moves while I was there? I am offend."

"I just don't want you getting _too_ beat up, s'all," Max said, sliding off the bed to kneel down in front of Chloe. Caressing her lover's cheek, Max gave the punk swordswoman a kiss on the cheek, "I just got you. Hate for you to spend our next night together all beaten to shit."

"Further offend!" Chloe exclaimed, sticking her tongue out with a wink of her eye, "Max, _relax_. I've got this. Now, lemme get changed and escort me to where the dirty deeds are done."

"I thought the dirty deeds were done _here_ ," Max said with a sly grin, patting the bed.

"Such a beautiful, and dirty, mind."

* * *

The walk to the docks was rife with onlookers who would gawk at Chloe's attire as she and Max crossed the promenade in the inner city towards the avenue which led to their destination. Max had bought Chloe a cloak, as well as one for herself, but it did not do much to hide the ripped abs and lean, muscular physique of her partner when Chloe would not fasten the cloak. Opting to wear it more like an open robe, Chloe walked along Max with a slight skip in her step from the excitement building within her. Max had warned her that they might not even let her fight, but Chloe did not seem to care. She _would_ fight, even if it was so that she could fight in a match. _I wanna throw down, knock a head or two. I've been…restless, as of late. We've been traveling so much, but there's been almost no action,_ Chloe thought as she and Max left the inner city proper for what was a mish-mash of cobblestone roads, dirt, warehouses, and taverns.

"Y'know, the only _real_ fight we've had was with that dude in the first village we stopped in," Chloe mentioned in passing as they walked along, "And _you're_ the one who smacked 'im upside the head. I hella deserve a good fight."

"You ' _deserve_ ' a fight? Are you cereal?" Max asked, looking at her quizzically from underneath her skull helm.

"Damn right. A…former merc like me can only go so long before the 'song of battle' begins to play in a loop through my head."

"Song of battle…right…"

"Dude, you don't know what it's like," Chloe said, stopping mid-step to turn and face Max, "When you live the majority of your days on a battlefield, fighting becomes as natural as breathing and pissing. The clash of metal against metal, the feel of your fist against skin and bone… It's amazing, really. I never felt more alive than when I was fighting-"

"Oh-ho, so what about _our nights_ together?" Max asked, eyebrow quirked as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"…I walked right into that."

"You totally did," Max said, a triumphant smile on her face, as she took Chloe by the hand and continued their trek towards the docks, "C'mon, _Warrior._ Your 'field of battle' is this way."

Leading Chloe to the docks, Max recognized the person organizing the fights and let Chloe go so that she could watch the latest brawl underway. She did not want to take anything away from Chloe, but the idea of her getting seriously injured worried her for two specific reasons. _One_ , it would mean that her love, her partner, could be grievously hurt. Max did not want to see that. _Two_ , it would mean a longer stay in the city and what little enthusiasm Max had for the place was starting to wane. _My uncle is here, I know that. Last time I was here, we fought over what he had done to our people…and our family. I don't want a repeat. I just want to spend time with Chloe and travel_ , Max thought as she approached the familiar figure.

"Hey, Bran," Max said in greeting, taking the outstretched hand and clasping it when the burly sailor recognized her.

"Aye, Max! Welcome!" Bran said, stroking his long coppery beard with his free hand. Save for his eyebrows, it was the only hair on his head. Dressed in leather breeches and boots, his bare chest was littered with tattoos from his various travels. His face, however, was warm and friendly towards the young sorceress, "Have ye come to apply your works for us this fine day?"

"That, and to watch my lover take an interest in the fighting," Max said, turning her head to jerk a chin toward Chloe.

"Ooh, she's a strong, fierce-lookin' lass," Bran said as he observed Chloe from a short distance, "Lemme see her close-up and we'll see what we can do. Maybe she can fight one a' the smaller fellows…"

"Chloe!" Max called out to her lover, waving, "C'mere!"

When Chloe sauntered over, Max smirked at the eager smile on her face, knowing the girl was itching for a fight. She knew Chloe could handle herself; in spite of her own better judgment and reservations, after seeing Chloe's lean frame in the utilitarian outfit, Max wanted to see just what her lover was capable of. Introducing Chloe to Bran, the two clasping hands in the style accustomed to warriors and soldiers, Max watched Bran give Chloe a scrutinizing look as he visually took her in. Leaning on her staff, the spear tip stuck in the dirt, Max cocked an eyebrow and looked at Bran.

"Well?" Max asked, intrigued.

"She's definitely got the shine for a fight, I'll give ye that. But does she have the mettle to go toe-to-toe with a man?" Bran asked, first looking at Max and then at Chloe.

"Oh, I've got hella mettle," Chloe replied, wagging her eyebrows as she bounced on the heels of her boots.

"How do ye fight?"

"However I can," Chloe replied, shadow boxing a little before giving a high kick into the air with enough speed that a slight whistle could be heard. Holding her leg up in position for a moment, Chloe slowly let it down and stood at an at-ease position with her hands clasped behind her back, "So? Do I pass muster?"

"A mercenary?"

"Former."

"…Ye fight next," Bran said after a moment's thought, stroking his beard, "I got a squirrelly one that'll likely suit ye just fine."

Max nodded in thanks and Chloe gave a stiff jerk of her chin before the two of them walked toward the crowd encircling the two brawlers who were currently fighting. Max was not paying attention to the fight, however; her eyes were on Chloe as she took in the bare-knuckle brawl. Max could hear the sounds of bone and flesh connecting, could smell blood and sweat intermingled with dirt, but her rapt attention was for Chloe alone. Taking her partner's cloak and slinging it over her own shoulder, Max laid a hand on Chloe's shoulder to get the blue-haired girl's attention.

"I love you," Max said, a little wonder in her eyes and voice that got a knowing grin from Chloe in return, "Win."

"I'll win for you, and I know," Chloe said, kissing Max on the forehead as the current bout came to a close with the loser being dragged out of the circle. Spectators exchanged coin or writs of money from winning and losing bets, "I love you. Bet on me?"

"Always."

Max cleared a space in the circle of spectator's inner rim so that Chloe could make her way into the fighting area and prepare. A few jabs, an uppercut, and a series of kicks that ranged from low to high warmed up Chloe's muscles. Taking a kneeling position, Chloe prayed to the Goddess for victory in battle and went into a trance-like state of battle meditation as her opponent made his way from the other end of the circle. Lean like Chloe, but a few inches taller, Chloe heard a couple people cheer the name "Hunter" and smirked as she opened her eyes. He was covered from neck to ankle in a series of tribal tattoos, his head shaved save for a mohawk of light blonde hair. A piercing in his septum glittered with gold and a ruby. This was a prize fighter, someone who lived for battle and one-on-one combat. Chloe knew she would have to be cautious with this one. Stroking his lengthy beard, Hunter appraised her and gave a curt nod of respect: warriors knew one another when they saw them, and Chloe returned the gesture of greeting. There would be nothing personal about this battle for Chloe, nothing against the man. She simply needed to fight, just like him.

"Ladies an' fellers," Bran started to say from where he stood on a crate overseeing the spectacle, "This here be a joyous occasion, as two fierce warriors greet each other with their fists in open combat. The only rule is that once an opponent is knocked out, the fight's done! Place yer bets, shake yer hands, and get ready! This will be a most raucous fight!"

"Begin!"

Chloe lightly stepped about, almost skipping, as she circled around the area as Hunter stalked her in a more threatening manner. A grin plastered on her face, Chloe reveled in the cheering and shouting as she surveyed her surroundings while keeping a close eye on her opponent. So enraptured, however, was she in the boisterous people as some had learned her name and had begun to chant it that she nearly took a jab square in the face. Dodging at the last possible second, Chloe caught a glancing blow to her jaw and felt a couple knuckles dig into the meat of her face.

"Got'cher attention now, girl?" Hunter asked, stepping back as he popped his neck, "Eyes on _me_ , not on them. This is a _fight_!"

"Yeah, yeah…," Chloe said in reply, her deadpan tone underlying her lack of appreciation for being chastised by her opponent.

Her eyes now locked onto Hunter and _only_ Hunter, Chloe's jaunty step ceased and she began to stalk her opponent with cat-like movements. Rushing one instant and pausing the next, Chloe forced Hunter to keep his guard up as she had the longer legs of the two. _Dude's nearly all torso_ , Chloe thought as she took in Hunter's lean body, _Lots of places to strike._ Stopping mid-step in her pursuit, Chloe crossed the circle with a dead sprint and came at Hunter with a jab from mid-air. The man blocked it, but the force of Chloe's blow pushed him into the crowd and they shoved him back out just in time for him to receive his own glancing blow to the jaw as Chloe struck again.

"Go Chloe!" Max cheered from her spot beside Bran on the large crate, "Get 'im!"

Chloe smiled up at her love and was punished for it by a series of quick jabs to the abdomen, her body instinctively tightening up so as to minimize the damage. Exhaling in a rush of air before inhaling through her nose, Chloe took advantage of the close quarters and greeted Hunter with a fast knee to his left side. Both fighters backing away from each other, taking in their injuries, Chloe put a hand to her sore abs while Hunter did the same to his side. The breather between them passing, the fighters sought one another out now in earnest as they crossed the circle together and began a series of jabs and dodges. For every hit Hunter landed, Chloe landed one in kind. When Hunter knocked her back with a hard right to her cheek, Chloe spat blood onto the circle and reached into her mouth. Pulling out a tooth, she tossed it to Max and laughed.

" _This_ is hella what I wanted!" Chloe cheered, the crowd roaring to match her enthusiasm.

Running from her spot opposite Hunter, Chloe began to go after the man with a flurry of low kicks and elbows. Able to dodge some of the blows but not all, Hunter staggered back before returning Chloe's ferocity with an elbow to her sternum. Knocking the wind out of her, he landed a right cross and sent Chloe sprawling onto the ground. Her vision a little blurry, her mind a bit muddled, Chloe nonetheless leapt up to her feet and roared a battle cry that left the spectators cheering wildly. Even nearby guards had left their posts to see what was going on.

" _Come on!_ " Chloe cried out, waving for Hunter to come at her, "Come at me, bro!"

Hunter ran at her and Chloe dodged the right cross, sliding to the side and watching the arm pass her in what felt like slowed time. Landing a jab to the man's armpit, Chloe watched Hunter reflexively pull the arm back quick as it went numb and Chloe moved in as he backed away a couple steps to reposition himself. Chloe grabbed his left arm when it went to guard his head and landed a left jab to his ribs, and then a second jab to the same area. Hunter nearly folded over as Chloe felt something crack inside the man. _There's no yielding in this fight_ , Chloe thought, as she would have gladly accepted it then and there. She could see it in his eyes: he was done.

Taking a springing step back, Chloe leapt into the air and dealt Hunter a savage roundhouse kick to the side of his head, ending the match. To Max, it looked almost like Chloe had grabbed Hunter's head with her foot and slammed it into the dirt and mud with the force of a war hammer. She saw the blank expression on her lover's face and knew she took no joy in it; having provided medical assistance to some of these matches before, Max knew that Hunter had been finished with the previous blows to his ribs. Climbing down from her spot next to Bran as he announced Chloe to be the winner, Max crossed into the circle and took a look first at Hunter. _Still breathing, thank Goddess_ , Max thought as she felt the spots where Chloe had landed her fiercest blows: the ribs were turning purple and a sickly yellow fast, and Hunter's eyes were rolled into the back of his head from the flying roundhouse kick Chloe had landed. Applying some salves and oils to each of the wounds that would encourage healing, Max turned her attention to Chloe as the warrior stood motionless in the center of the circle. Breathing heavily with the fight at a close, Chloe had her hands on her knees as she spat out a little more bloody spittle.

"Satisfied?" Max asked, a grim smile on her face.

"Like, never," Chloe replied as she slowly stood up straight, "But it'll do for now."

Redressing Chloe in her cloak, fastening the clasp herself, Max helped Chloe through the crowd and smiled in passing to Bran as they began to head towards the city promenade and Fernando's inn. Chloe was bruised, battered, and missing a tooth; Max was also fairly certain the hard knock to the woman's head would require treatment as well. _Glad I brought some essentials with me. I'll end up spending my winnings from betting on Chloe just to treat the poor girl,_ Max thought as she slowly guided Chloe from the docks to the inner city.

"Strip down, and lie flat on your back," Max instructed, pointing to the bed in their small room.

"I don't think I'm in the mood for sexy fun times. Physically, anyway," Chloe teased before wincing as she gingerly walked over to the window and spat out a little bloody spittle before shuttering the window again.

"Okay, smart-ass. I can either be gentle and caring about this or I can just be efficient," Max said in a warning tone as she began to lay out roots, herbs, and oils she had purchased at the inner city's herbalist shop, "Now, which do you prefer-?"

"Gentle and caring! Um, yeah, gentle and caring. Sass a bit too much right now?"

" _Hella_. Lie down, Chloe, and let me see to your wounds."

Chloe acquiesced to Max's command, gently lying herself down on the bed as the scent of Max's shopping wafted through the room. Oddly refreshing, it permeated Chloe's nose so that it was all she could smell. _I wonder if that's one of its effects…_ , Chloe thought as she looked to her left to see Max at work on the floor with her ingredients, a pestle and mortar, a basin of water, and some strips of cloth. Watching Max at work was almost as soothing as the scent of freshly ground medicinal herbs; the sorceress made it look so peaceful and serene as she created healing wraps and tonics, salves and ointments, and a poultice.

"Lookit you, all bidness," Chloe remarked tenderly as she reached out with an arm to ruffle Max's hair, her skull helm set beside the sorceress, "All this for me? You shouldn't have. I mean, well, you totally should because 'Ow' but this is all really sweet. Thank you."

"I _told_ you you'd get banged up. This is just the aftercare; but yes, right now I'm all 'bidness', my love. I want you well-rested and healed tonight," Max said as she began to rub the ointment on Chloe's injuries before wrapping them in the clothes saturated with her healing mixture, "Tonight, I'll get something light for us in regards to dinner, and there'll be no 'sexy fun time' as you will need to sleep a good amount. The draught I prepared for after you eat will ensure you are in good shape regarding being _able_ to sleep in your condition."

"My condition?"

"You took a pretty savage hit to the head, dear," Max said, gently helping Chloe to a sitting position so she could clean the warrior up and bandage her head with the last of the healing wraps, a poultice tied in place where the strike had occurred, "I can't put your tooth back in, though. Sorry."

"Dude, you're doing _all this_ and you're sorry about my fucking tooth? Max, you're amazing," Chloe chimed in, leaning forward just a little so that Max could meet her halfway for a kiss, "As for dinner, so long as it isn't _too_ light I don't mind. I'm actually kinda starving."

"Something like a soup or stew and some bread. Water, though, to drink. The alcohol will not help your head, nor will it aid in the healing process," Max said as she got to her feet to head for the door, "Just lie here, and rest. I'll be right back."

Chloe watched Max leave and laid back down on the bed, waiting for her lover's return.

 _When did I get so hella lucky?_

 **Author's Note**

 **Hey, Cinnamon Rolls! I hope you liked the albeit brief return of a more kickboxer-ish Chloe. I've wanted to put Chloe in a fight like this for Wyrd Ways for a bit, but was struggling a little with how to segue into it – what's more appropriate than drinking, brawling, and gambling!**

 **I've had a lot of personal stuff going on as of late. Spent the past three weeks moving into a new place, which feels like** _ **home**_ **unlike my old apartment, and I've got a lot going on with my transitioning. I had my name** _ **and**_ **gender legally changed so that part is DONE. Now, however, the VA is doing its best to fast-track me through a referral for GCS (Gender Confirmation Surgery).**

 _ **So,**_ **combine all that with a severe case of writer's block, and this is going to be the last chapter of** _ **any**_ **of my stories I'll be putting out for a bit. I need to get settled, find some time to relax, and figure things out. Sorry to leave you all hanging with this story and "Life is Hella" (which makes me feel even worse because I only** _ **just**_ **started it!) but I've got to straighten shiz out.**

 **I will be back, however – I swear to Dog ;)**

 **Stay hella!**

 **Rowan**


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